A pub running for election aims to ban all other pubs in town

04 July 2024 , 17:12

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The Mitre pub is standing for election in London (Picture: Google)

A London pub is running in this year’s General Election and the owner has warned of some harsh policies on the horizon if he wins.

The Mitre pub party was launched by Chris French, who runs the bar in St Mary’s Grove, Richmond.

Richmond Park residents might be surprised to see his name on their ballot paper when they rock up to vote today.

But the 47-year-old is vying to become the local MP and will attempt to fend off Lib Dem favourite Sarah Olney.

If Chris secured the most unlikely of victories, other pubs in the local area might be under threat from his bold plans to ban them. 

When he was asked about the hypothetical contents of the The Mitre’s manifesto, Chris laughed and said: ‘I don’t know. Maybe close all the other pubs down in Richmond.

‘Cut beer duty on The Mitre to maybe one pence and put everybody else up to 50 pence.’

Chris French has set up The Mitre pub party (Picture: Google)

By virtue of his party existing, Chris is also gunning to become the leading party in the UK.

Granted, it’s virtually impossible for Chris to get his hands on the keys to 10 Downing Street because he’s only running in one constituency.

In the rare event that the rest of the UK abstains from voting in every single constituency and he wins the seat in Richmond Park to get into parliament, only then would he get the gig.

Not that he actually wants it, of course. Chris has admitted that standing in the election is effectively just a marketing ploy.

‘None of it is political,’ he told Richmond Nub News of his election run.

‘At the end of the day I’ve just come up with a marketing idea that nobody else has ever thought of.

‘It cost £500 (to run as a candidate), which is a deposit that you put down. And if you can get 5% of the votes, of the turnout, you do get your deposit back as well.

‘I need around 3,000 and 4,000 votes probably and then I can get my deposit back.

‘If over the course of the next few weeks 20 people come down (to The Mitre) because of it and they all spend £25…it’s worthwhile.’ 

He’s not the only weird and whacky candidate running in the 2024 General Election either. Here’s a look at some of the other more unique potential MPs.

David Wilson