Hi, everyone. And welcome back to Britain Under the Microscope. 欢迎回来【闲话英伦】Hi 安澜.

Hi Lulu, hi everyone.

Last time we had so much fun talking about all these weird, eccentric habits that your parliament has?

Yeah.

So are there any other fun bits that happened during the whole election time? I remember watching some historical parodies, 我看到英国一些历史恶搞剧, they always have these really crazy people dressed really crazily, also trying to run a political campaign. Is that a real thing?

That’s a real thing and that has been around for centuries.

So in the past, whenever local officials were elected, there was normally a mock mayor elected as well.

就比如说一个地方选市长，选一个地区选行政长官，之后就会有一…mock here means mocking at people like laughing at people or fake.

Both. A mock mayor is someone who was there to make fun of the real politician.

But it's also obviously a fake politician himself or herself.

It’s a fake politician. Usually it was the individual who made the biggest fool of themselves in public over the past year, so like the local drunk, for example.

The local drunk.

Yeah.

这个mock有两个意思，一个是模拟比如说mock test 模拟考试，或者是mock, I’m mocking at安澜，I’m mocking you, 就是我在嘲笑他

Yes.

So here you are saying mock mayor is both.

It can be both.

Mayor is the head of a city, a town.

Yeah, a city or a town, and in this case, they could also be the member of parliament.

And you also said it's the election of a mock mayor. Does that mean different people in the running.

Oh, could be, but normally it was like a very small group, and in the town they would just choose basically like the local drunk or the local idiot or just somebody wanted to have a good time.

I like that you have the idea of a local idiot.

So the mock mayor he would be carried around the city, punishing and rewarding people, issuing really strange laws and decrees while getting more and more drunk.

It just sounds like an excuse to just get drunk and be silly.

Pretty much. It would normally end in a drunken party and the mock mayor would be thrown into the sea or into a river or into a pond at the end.

Who participates, like the general public, do they actually participate?

Yeah, they would.

In the 18th century, it was very, very common. And nowadays, they still have mock mayors being elected in some cities around the country.

So say, I'm a citizen, like I'm a resident in this town, and I see this really, weirdly dressed mock mayor being carried around, walking around, what do I do?

You just follow them and carry on drinking, really.

Ok.

It's a party. It's an excuse to make fun, and the whole idea...

But it's also being sarcastic about politics, being ironic.

It's being sarcastic. It's a way of deflating the ego of politicians.

Oh. I see. 安澜说的这个点还蛮有意思, deflating the ego.

Yeah.

就是不让政客觉得妄自尊大, 觉得自己有多了不起.

I think this is very deep in British cultures, it's like try to tell people not to take themselves too seriously.

Exactly.

And you notice it a lot in the UK with how we talk about politicians. We make lots of jokes. And part of that is because of the very British idea, you don't take yourself too seriously.

And also politicians in English is hardly a positive word.

No. But nowadays, we still have something somewhat similar, because there is a tradition that strange candidates can put themselves up for election.

By the way, if you wanna run your own political campaign, just have to be a British citizen, and do you have to have any political backgrounds or ties.

Not necessarily. To put yourself up for election, You have to pay like a small fee and normally you're affiliated with a party, but in many cases, you can be an independent. So you're not linked to a particular party. And some people do this, basically, for fun or to mock the politicians.

So you can just create a really crazy name of a party and then try to go around and say, yeah, you are the leader of this party, and then…

One of the oldest is the Monster Raving Loony Party.

The Monster, Raving, Loony, Loony just means crazy.

Yeah, raving and Loony just mean crazy.

Raving mad.

Yeah.

So the Monster Crazy Crazy Party.

Monster Raving Loony party

What do they do?

Well, what they used to do and they still do is they put out their manifesto. They say what they want to do.

Manifesto is 宣言，就是政治宣言

So they say what they want to do, and normally it's just very bizarre. But because of our electoral rules, they have the same rights to publicize, they have the same rights for media to describe what they want to do. So you can read the BBC. And this happened in the London elections where you have all of these serious political parties.

And then the Monster Raving Loony Party.

And then a few others as well.

I see. Side by side, I guess that's a way to take the real politicians down a notch.

Exactly.

So the monster raving Looney party have suggested things like making a 99 p coin.

就是99便士做成一个硬币.

Yeah.

Ok.

Sending comedians to negotiate Brexit.

Actually probably wouldn't have been so bad.

No, it probably wouldn't actually.

就是脱欧谈判的时候当时让comedians, 让这些喜剧演员去谈.

Yes. But one of the most famous at the moment is Count binface.

Bin as in trash can. Bin 就是垃圾箱

Yeah. So one of the most common candidates, originally he was known as Lord buckethead.

Bucket 他是穿了一个什么costume嘛?

Yeah. So his story is he is a space warrior who dresses in a black and gray costume with a long silver cape and a dustbin on his head.

Wow. That sounds like a kid's book.

It is pretty much. And he is a candidate. So that means during the election, he appears on the same stage, as for example, the prime minister or other leading politicians.

I wonder how they feel about binface or buckethead.

Now it's actually just seen as a bit of a joke and Count binface, he ran in the latest mayoral election in London.

Wow.

Yeah, he got 24,260 votes.

所以竞选伦敦市长他还得了两万多票

I probably would have... If I were a London resident and I probably would have voted for him.

Not the new mayor, the continuing mayor, who belongs to labor, he actually said in his victory speech, I'm really proud that I have won against Count binface.

See, this is what I actually quite like the whole thing about being able to take a joke.

Yeah. And the thing that I particularly like about it is that in many countries, there's an issue with the far right?

So far right 就是极右翼的

Yeah, so for example, who are pushing forwards, things that are quite racist or very right wing.

I think in Italy, in Germany, in France, you see them.

And Count binface got more votes than the far right party.

OK, that is going to be a blow to their ego.

Exactly.

To their ego.

And that is one of the things I love about London because it's a very tolerant place.

And this Count binface, his manifesto was he promised to rejoin the EU he promised to ban loud snacks in theaters and cinemas.

So far I am with him.

Yeah, he will build at least one affordable house.

One affordable house?

Because he's sure he will build at least one. So he'll go over his electoral promise. And in the UK we've had issues with water companies, increased bills and problems with pipes, causing sewage in rivers. So his manifesto says that he will force the bosses of water companies to swim in the river.

Poetic justice, I like his style.

Exactly. And this is the whole thing. It's meant as not just a joke, but to highlight serious issues which we have in the UK, but in a fun, slightly mocking way.

Yeah, I like it. I probably, after today's recording, I probably will go check out some more of these mock mayors.

Exactly. And check out Count binface. His costume is brilliant and he's... you can always see him on the stage. He’s run against Boris Johnson, he's run against Rishi Sunak. He pretty much always just turns up in big elections.

You know what 安澜, you are a London resident somewhat, you registered to vote in London. I think you should start your own Mock Mayor Party called Fluffy Bunny Party or something.

Probably not.

Alright. On that note, we're gonna wrap up and you can leave us a comment in the comment section and tell us what you think. And also, if you are actually running for this Mock Mayor, what is going to be your name or your persona?

So until then.

We'll see you next time.

Bye.

Bye.