Editing Captain Sensible (section)

==Politics==
{{quote box|width=20%|align=right|quote="I always wanted to put a brick through the TV when I saw Blair pop his head up. It's quite easy to write lyrics when politicians are so corrupt. I had to start my own political party I was so angry. I called it the Blah Party. It was 50 per cent joke, 50 per cent serious but was my way of dealing with it."|source=Burns in November 2008<ref>{{cite news|title= The Damned are back |date= 28 November 2008 |newspaper= [[Derby Telegraph]] |access-date= 18 February 2010 |url= http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Damned/story-11642436-detail/story.html |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150923223935/http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Damned/story-11642436-detail/story.html |archive-date= 23 September 2015}}</ref>}}
In September 2006, Captain Sensible formed a new British political party known as the Blah! Party,<ref>{{cite web|title= The Blah! Party |url= http://www.blahparty.org/ |archive-date= 12 November 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061112110954/http://www.blahparty.org/}}</ref> saying, "We believe that voting is an important part of the democratic process, and we want the Blah! Party to be the party of protest, a channel through which the people of the U.K. can vent their dissatisfaction at nonsensical everyday things, and protest against the government and the current crop of political parties."<ref>{{cite web|title= Captain Sensible Starts Political Party |access-date= 6 January 2014 |url= http://www.aversion.com/news/news_article.cfm?news_id=7346}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

The Blah! Party was largely modelled on the principle of [[direct democracy]], with suggestions being made by anyone on the party website. These suggestions would then be voted on by the membership, resulting in a "rolling [[manifesto]]."<ref>{{cite news |first= Katie |last= Campling |title= It's a load of Blah! as punk and politics mix |date= 10 August 2007 |newspaper= [[Huddersfield Daily Examiner]] |access-date= 18 February 2010 |url= http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/its-load-blah-punk-politics-5049205 |archive-date= 24 September 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150924042102/http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/its-load-blah-punk-politics-5049205 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name="apathy">{{cite news |first= Angela |last= Balakrishnan |title= Voter apathy? Here's the Sensible solution |date= 3 May 2007 |newspaper= [[The Guardian]] |access-date= 18 February 2010 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/may/03/otherparties.musicnews |archive-date= 3 October 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141003130830/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/may/03/otherparties.musicnews |url-status= live }}</ref> The party was launched on 24 September 2006 at a conference in [[Manchester]].<ref name="argus"/> Initial policies included stopping "chav culture and the idolisation of airhead celebrities like the [[David Beckham|Beckhams]], [[Paris Hilton]] and [[Jade Goody]]", alongside more serious policies of opposing the [[Iraq War]] and [[Identity Cards Act 2006|ID cards]], instead spending money on public transport, hospitals and [[renewable energy]].<ref name="apathy"/>

The Blah! Party entered into a sponsorship deal with [[Seabrook Potato Crisps|Seabrook Crisps]] in September 2006, with the party logo and details on joining for free printed on their packets.<ref name="argus">{{cite news |first= Jenny |last= Loweth |title= Crisp firm backs the new force in politics! |newspaper= [[Telegraph & Argus]] |date= 27 September 2006 |access-date= 2 October 2007 |url= http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/941438.crisp_firm_backs_the_new_force_in_politics/ |archive-date= 8 February 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090208225330/http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/941438.crisp_firm_backs_the_new_force_in_politics/ |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first= Melinda |last= Varley |title= Seabrook sponsors political party |website= Mad.co.uk |date= 29 September 2006 |access-date= 18 February 2010 |url= http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/Home/Articles/b0544d72cae54be1b2f0cfaf91f49c02/Seabrook-sponsors-political-party.html |archive-date= 9 March 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120309060944/http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/Home/Articles/b0544d72cae54be1b2f0cfaf91f49c02/Seabrook-sponsors-political-party.html |url-status= live }}</ref> The party also received non-financial support from PR company Propaganda. The party received £168,309 in the last quarter of 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title= Tories' donations outstrip rivals |date= 26 February 2007 |work= [[BBC News Online]] |access-date= 18 February 2010 |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6396965.stm |archive-date= 28 February 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070228095620/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6396965.stm |url-status= live }}</ref> The party was debt-free in 2008, with a membership of 8,544, up from 5,000 in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |title= Atticus |first= Roland |last= White |date= 1 June 2008 |newspaper= [[The Times]] |access-date= 18 February 2010 |url= http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/article4040060.ece |archive-date= 15 May 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220515094006/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

The first Blah! Party candidate was Carl Finlan, who stood in the 2007 local elections in [[Thornton and Allerton]] ward, [[Bradford]].<ref>{{cite news |title= Election hopefuls line up for ballot |first= Jo |last= Winrow |date= 9 April 2007 |newspaper= Telegraph & Argus |access-date= 18 February 2010 |url= http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/1316820.election_hopefuls_line_up_for_ballot/ |archive-date= 1 April 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090401052746/http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/1316820.election_hopefuls_line_up_for_ballot/ |url-status= live }}</ref> He gained 69 votes (1.6%).<ref>{{cite web|title= District Council Election |date= 3 May 2007 |publisher= City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council |access-date= 18 February 2010 |url= http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/555182AF-258E-4C76-B9FD-04359B469AF8/0/LocalElectionResults2007.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110615103849/http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/555182AF-258E-4C76-B9FD-04359B469AF8/0/LocalElectionResults2007.pdf |archive-date= 15 June 2011}}</ref> Deputy leader Melodie Staniforth stood in the Holme Valley North ward of [[Kirklees]] as 'Boney Maroney' in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title= Candidates for the 01 May 2008 District Council Election by party |year= 2008 |publisher= Kirklees Council |url= http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-howcouncilworks/election/party11.shtml |archive-date= 5 May 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080505061225/http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-howcouncilworks/election/party11.shtml}}</ref> She gained 38 votes (0.68%).<ref>{{cite web|title= Results for the 01 May 2008 District Council Election |year= 2008 |publisher= Kirklees Council |url= http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-howcouncilworks/election/result11.shtml |archive-date= 5 May 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080505050047/http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-howcouncilworks/election/result11.shtml}}</ref> She resigned shortly afterwards.<ref name="new"/>

On 11 September 2007, Propaganda handed total control of the Blah! Party to Captain Sensible, former [[Official Monster Raving Loony Party]] deputy leader Melodie Staniforth, Robert Staniforth, Sadie Ingoldby, Shaun Nightingale and Gary Spate.<ref name="new">{{cite web|title= Welcome to your new home |work= Blah! Party |date= 13 December 2008 |url= http://www.theblahparty.co.uk/?p=3 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090318190014/http://www.theblahparty.co.uk/?p=3 |archive-date= 18 March 2009}}</ref> In December 2008, Propaganda closed the website. The party ended its association with Propaganda and Seabrook, launching a new website. At the same time it de-registered from the register of political parties, deciding to instead be a protest group.<ref name="new"/>