Captain Beany/PA
An election candidate named Captain Beany has rejected half-baked manifestos, declaring “tell me what you want and see if I can give it to you”.
Captain Beany, who described himself as “one of the nation’s great British eccentrics”, is standing as an independent candidate in the General Election.
Previously Barry Kirk before changing his name by deed poll in May 1991, he brought Captain Beany to life after seeing The Who singer Roger Daltrey pose in a bathtub of beans while holding a Heinz beans tin for the band’s album cover titled The Who Sell Out.
Mr Beany, 69, recreated the moment and earned a record-breaking achievement after sitting in a bathtub of baked beans for 100 hours in 1986.
“I’m honest, I’m trustworthy. I say, as it is. If you’ve got any issues, please feel free to spill the beans back to Captain Beany,” the Port Talbot resident told the PA news agency, while dressed in a baked bean printed T-shirt and an orange bandana saying “Vote Beany”.
Mr Beany started out in politics in 1991, running to be an MP in various elections including the 2019 general election.
He said he does not have a manifesto and has criticised party leaders for producing “flaky” policies claiming he would find solutions for members of the public who present their problems to him.
“There’s people who have got these high and mighty, flaky party policies… How about looking into the hearts of the common person, ask them what they want?” he said.
“People now, they’re not naive. They’re looking at these party policies and thinking ‘You’ve done this before, you’ve made promises that you can’t keep’.
“I’m saying to people, ‘How about you tell me what you want and see if I can give it to you?’ It’s a no-brainer.”
While he does not have a manifesto, he does have pledges such as reducing the voting age to as young as 18 months and saying it should be mandatory for all UK residents to vote.
He said: “I want to lower the age from 18 years to 18 months because I’ve had so much fun with the younger generation and they think it’s hilarious me going around and about presenting my stickers and banners.
“They are going to be the future voters. They may well be influenced by party politics but also they are going to be influenced by me, perhaps, in the future.
“I believe for democracy and voting purposes I think it should be compulsory for everybody to vote.”
The 69-year-old, who has 60 tattoos of baked beans on his head and and a line of baked beans tattooed on to his eyebrows, also hopes to create a “level playing field” for those receiving their pension if he is elected.
“(OAPs) have worked all their life, paid all their National Insurance contributions. Why can’t we give them a fair deal?” he said.
“TV licences – we have to wait until 75 to get one free. We should have at least a discount when you reach retirement age.”
The Port Talbot local said he is passionate about fundraising and became superhero Captain Beany to “enhance (his) fundraising capabilities”, which he said is part of his “legacy”.
Mr Beany also delivers lectures and speeches at local schools encouraging students to pursue their dreams, and urged the public not to “waste” their vote in this year’s election.
“I just want people out there to know: don’t waste your vote at all. If you want to vote for me as a protest vote – well, it’s a vote,” he said.
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