Hartlepool FC's monkey mascot has been elected Mayor of Hartlepool. So much for Tony Blair's great experiment in democracy!

"We're all doomed, I tell you...doomed!"

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

Answers

Monkey elected? I thought Reyd already had a job?

Actually, I think this is democracy at its finest. In the absence of any real political issues daftness will always fill the void.

Wasn't one election pledge about free bananas for Hartlepool?

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

What next? Peter Reid for Prime Minister? (Yes please say the Mackems!)

Would it make any difference?

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

Eh? what's happened?

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

It's a glowing triumph for democracy. Stick your party politics right up your arse. Give us real people with personal beliefs and chuck all your party-line crap in the bog where it belongs. When a man in a monkey suit is more in touch with the public than party candidates then the elctorate has spoken.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

The fact is he has resigned from hartlepool fc and used the monkey suit as a gimick. Its seems that some politicians didnt know this and have slagged the bloke off. Open mouths engage brains ...

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

Does he get to sit in parliament? Could be fun.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

Not parliament, no. I'm not sure if directly elected mayors outside London have any political power of note.

Interestingly it turns out that Hartlepool has the national highest numbers for babies born out of wedlock. As a region the North East leads the way, but the Chimp Murderers are top of that list.

Not as if the area needed much more notoriety is it...

Gav - 'Hangus' the Monkey, mascot for Hartlepool, was elected mayor yesterday.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

And he get's 55K a year for his trouble.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002

That'll pay for the free bananas he promised then :-)

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2002