The Tory, the Witch and the Raving Loony to fight for Witney (From Oxford Mail)

The Tory, the Witch and the Raving Loony to fight for Witney

7:10am Tuesday 23rd March 2010 in Witney By Jennifer Rivett

WITNEY residents will find themselves with election choices including a would-be Tory Prime Minister, a witch or a 'loony'.

Self-proclaimed ‘King of the Witches’ Magus Lynius Shadee and the Official Monster Raving Loony Party’s Alan “Howling Laud” Hope will join other more conventional party candidates in standing against Conservative leader David Cameron.

Occultist Mr Shadee, 55, who lives in Normandy, France, but has dual citizenship and wants to move to Witney, is the leader of the New World party.

He said: “I have the advantage of the paranormal and it is time that David Cameron left, as he’s been with Witney now since June 2001.”

Mr Shadee, who claims to specialise in exorcisms and witchcraft, has a manifesto which includes a freeze on council tax, a ban on faith schools and incentives for students to pass their degrees in two years instead of three.

Grandfather Mr Hope, 59, who lives in Fleet, said he had considered standing against Prime Minister Gordon Brown, but decided Scotland was “too far away”.

He said: “I can bring a sense of humour and everything that will make the people of Witney happy.

“In the 1970s, I used to be in a country and western band called ThreeWheel and we were very popular at Witney Football Club, and in Carterton, so lots of people will remember me from that.”

Mr Hope was jointly elected leader of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party with his cat, “Cat Mandu” in 1999.

He said: “I think not just the people of Witney but people all over the country are simply fed up with mainstream politics. If someone like me were to get 5,000 or 6,000 votes and retain our deposit, it would make the big parties sit up and think.”

Other candidates so far include Liberal Democrat Dawn Barnes, Labour’s Joe Goldberg, Nikolai Tolstoy for UKIP, Stuart Macdonald for the Green Party and Paul Wesson, who is planning to stand as an independent.

Mr Cameron’s office was not available to comment on his challengers last night.

fbardsley@oxfordmail.co.uk