Updated June 09, 2017 17:44:21

Photo: The Monster Raving Loony Party's tagline is "vote for insanity". (AP: Frank Augstein)

Who were the Britons in fancy dress sidling up to UK leaders as the election results rolled in?

They aren't simply opportunistic photobombers, these are legitimate candidates, running in the same seats as some of the UK's most prominent politicians — including Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn — where the media will inevitably focus more of its attention.

As Ms May claimed what could be considered her only victory for the day, in the seat of Maidenhead, she shared the stage with a motley crew of candidates — Lord Buckethead, Elmo, a well-decorated member of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and other suited politicians like herself.

Lord Buckethead

The standout of the oddballs was surely Lord Buckethead, who will remind many Australians of the bushranger Ned Kelly.

On a Twitter page purporting to represent the candidate, it described Lord Buckethead as "an intergalactic space lord".

Lord Buckethead won 249 votes in Maidenhead where he was vying for the Prime Minister's seat. Ms May snagged 37,718 votes.

In 1987, a candidate resembling the towering, caped candidate stood against Margaret Thatcher in the seat of Finchley.

Monster Raving Loony Party

Photo: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and a member of the Monster Raving Loony party. (Reuters: Darren Staples)

The Official Monster Raving Loony Party was established by musician David Sutch (aka Screaming Lord Sutch) and current leader Howling Laud Hope in the early 1980s.

Their party tagline is "vote for insanity".

Under their 2017 election "manicfesto", the party said it would "stand on a platform of free woollen hats for all, so we can pull the wool over peoples eyes".

Howling Laud Hope received 119 votes in Ms May's Maidenhead, while another party member, Knigel Knapp, appeared at Mr Corbyn's count in Islington in East London.

Mr Fishfinger

Photo: Mr Fish Finger secured 309 votes in the Westmorland and Lonsdale seat. (Reuters: Andrew Yates)

There is little known about the newcomer dressed as a stick of fish, who legally changed his name to Mr Fishfinger to take part in the 2017 election.

The independent candidate secured 309 votes in the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency where Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron narrowly kept his seat by 777 votes.

He upstaged Mr Farron by standing behind him during his televised victory speech.

Fathers' rights campaigner uses Elmo as figurehead

Photo: Theresa May and her husband Philip walk past the Give Me Back Elmo candidate as they leave a polling station on June 8. (Reuters: Eddie Keogh)

The man beyond the Elmo costume is Bobby Smith — a fathers' rights protester and leader of the Give Me Back Elmo party.

Mr Smith, 34, a truck driver, adopted the character as the figurehead of his campaign.

Elmo won three votes in Maidenhead.

ABC/AP

Topics: elections, world-politics, united-kingdom

First posted June 09, 2017 17:39:41