Moira Stuart reading out all 17 candidates in this 1984 by-election just gets better and better
The @BBCArchive account on Twitter is a wonderful treasure trove of nuggets from times gone by and this is an absolute classic.
It’s Moira Stuart on BBC News reading out the entire list of candidates – and their parties – in the 1984 Chesterfield by-election.
And it just gets better and better …
#OnThisDay 1984: Moira Stuart read out the ‘other’ candidates in the Chesterfield by-election. Glorious! pic.twitter.com/vC88wtu6g1
— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) February 16, 2021
The clip went viral on Twitter today and here are our favourite things people were saying about it.
10 Seconds In: "I don't see what is so-"
13 Seconds In: "Oh, it's the greatest thing I've ever seen." https://t.co/QDlGPVOGGi
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) February 16, 2021
See, America, this is why you need to break the two party system. https://t.co/HYraRvhZKG
— jon ronson (@jonronson) February 16, 2021
I believe Official Acne Party lost their depo-zit.
— Tim Probert (@TimProbert) February 16, 2021
Yes, yes, I know, not everything was better in the past, lots was terrible, I remember the 80s, they were awful… but… oh these 50 seconds were glorious. https://t.co/ojtf6viMQ1
— Fake History Hunter (@fakehistoryhunt) February 16, 2021
Further proof that Monty Python was a documentary series. https://t.co/jr6fxk90Mu
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) February 16, 2021
Just in case you were wondering, here’s how it all panned out.
Tony Benn (Labour) – 24,633
Max Payne (Liberal) – 18,369
Nick Bourne (Conservative) – 8,028
Bill Maynard (Independent Labour) – 1,355
David Sutch (Monster Raving Loony) – 178
David Bentley (Four-wheel drive Hatchback Road Safety) – 116
John Davey (Independent) – 83
Thomas Layton (Independent Ecology Party) – 46
Helen Anscomb (Independent – Freight on rails not roads) – 34
Jitendra Bardwaj (Yoga and Meditation) – 33
Donald Butler (Independent – Buy your Chesterfield in Thame Party) – 24
Paul Nicholls-Jones (The Welshman) – 22
Sid Shaw (Elvisly Yours Elvis Presley Party) – 20
Christopher Hill (I am not a number) – 17
Giancarlo Piccaro (Acne Party) – 15
David Cahill (Re-classify The Sun newspaper a comic) – 12
John Connell (Peace) – 7
Peace never had a chance.
In the unlikely event you don’t already, follow @BBCArchive on Twitter here!
Last word to this guy.
When Britain made sense. https://t.co/39vtmZqs68
— Count Binface (@CountBinface) February 16, 2021
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This cat was loving the big cats on TV … until a really big one turned up
Source Twitter @BBCArchive