King Arthur: Aiming for independent candidates to take a stand in 2015

King Arthur sets up his own political party

King Arthur sets up his own political party

The self-described reincarnation of King Arthur is setting up his own political party, with an aim of fielding dozens of political candidates in the 2015 general election.

King Arthur, also known as Arthur Uther Pendragon, wants local people across the country to stand as independents in his People's party.

"People are fed up with mainstream politics, we need people standing by and for the people, rather than by and for the party line," he told Politics.co.uk.

"The people are disenchanted with the present political system. There's very little choice between them.

"If you don't like what's on offer then get out there and do it yourself. If I can, so can everyone else."

King Arthur himself has stood in four elections although he won just 257 votes in 2010.

"I'll stand in Salisbury, where I stood last time," he said.

"I've stood in the last four general elections myself. I've managed to embarrass three national parties into last place and also embarrass myself into last place. It doesn't matter."

The self-proclaimed English eccentric said he wanted to get in contact with independent-minded local people across the country in time to present a range of candidates to challenge mainstream party members at the 2015 election.

"The whole idea is not to have a manifesto – to make it more approachable for the people," he said.

"We're going to go out in the street, car boot sales and that. We'll find out what people want and do that.

"It's rather like the idea of the Greek and Roman Senate, where senators represented regions."

He added: "In the system at the moment you can have a Welsh man representing a Scottish constituency and living in London.

"I want someone from Liverpool representing Liverpool and the needs of the people in Liverpool, as opposed to following the party line."

King Arthur, who first found notoriety in the anti-road protests of the 1980's and 1990's, described his own politics as "green and slightly left-wing".

His long campaign against the exclusion zone around Stonehenge for summer solstice was eventually won despite the European Court of Human Rights finding against him.

He later occupied a byway for ten months demanding universal free access to the site and the redirection of two nearby A roads.

That campaign was also partially successful, with English Heritage announcing plans to move the  A303 underground and set up a new visitors centre for the stones.