Lord Buckethead

Lord Buckethead was a novelty candidate who stood in four British general elections between 1987 and 2019, portrayed by three different people. Buckethead is an interstellar villain resembling the Star Wars character Darth Vader. Lord Buckethead was created by the American filmmaker Todd Durham for his 1984 science fiction film Hyperspace. Mike Lee, the owner of the video distributor that released Hyperspace in the UK, stood as Lord Buckethead in the 1987 UK general election and again in the 1992 general election. The character went unused until the comedian Jon Harvey stood as Lord Buckethead in the 2017 general election; his televised appearance standing next to prime minister Theresa May went viral, drawing media coverage and an online following. Following the 2017 election, Durham asserted his ownership of the Lord Buckethead character and displaced Harvey. With Durham's authorisation, Lord Buckethead returned in 2019, now played by David Hughes. He appeared at People's Vote rallies calling for a second Brexit referendum and stood in the 2019 general election representing the Monster Raving Loony Party. In 2026, Hughes said he was finished as Lord Buckethead. Harvey continues to campaign using his own character, Count Binface, standing in the 2026 Clacton by-election.