In the news

Cardiff Central and Captain Beany feature in a David Baddiel opinion piece this week that is mostly about the Monster Raving Loony Party, A party not raving but drowning.

In Cardiff Central, which Labour won in 2001 with a majority of 659, another breakaway MRLP faction has been formed, called the New Millennium Bean Party. I phoned its candidate, Captain Beany (real name, changed by deed poll), a very sweet old Welsh bloke, who spends all his time in orange make-up and an orange superhero costume, and he told me that his party has 2,000 members. If they, or enough other Cardiff voters, decide to take Brian Sedgemore’s advice to give Tony Blair a bloody nose, and chose to do this by voting for a man claiming to be a baked bean from outer space, the Lib Dems will win. In this key seat, Wack and Zane hold the balance of power.