Editing Al Murray (section)

==Parliamentary candidacy==
On 14 January 2015, Murray announced his formation of the "Free United Kingdom Party" (FUKP)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/the-pub-landlord-visits-thanet-31200/ |title=Pub Landlord Al Murray visits Thanet as FUKP leader |first=James |last=Rose |date=3 February 2015 |work=Kent Online}}</ref> and declared his candidacy, deploying his Pub Landlord persona, for the [[Electoral district|seat]] of [[South Thanet]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/special-report/al-murrays-eurozone-crisis-solution-europe-goes-pound |title=Al Murray's eurozone crisis solution: 'Europe goes on the pound' |first=Rajnish |last=Singh |date=22 January 2015 |work=[[The Parliament Magazine]]}}</ref> running against [[UKIP]] leader [[Nigel Farage]], as [[parliamentary candidate]] in the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]].<ref name="BBC News 14 Jan 2015">{{cite web |title=Al Murray to stand against UKIP's Nigel Farage |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-30819779 |author=<!-- staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=14 January 2015 |website=BBC News Online |access-date=14 January 2015}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/tADgYkAfXro Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150114151647/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tADgYkAfXro&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tADgYkAfXro |title=The Guv's common sense message to the UK |author=almurray |date=14 January 2015 |work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Murray's agent, Dan Lloyd, told the [[BBC]]: "it's definitely happening".<ref name="BBC News 14 Jan 2015"/> The [[List of frivolous political parties|party]]'s logo is an upside-down [[pound sign]], not dissimilar to UKIP's purple and gold pound sign.<ref name="Guardian 14 Jan 2015">{{cite news |title=Last orders for Nigel Farage? Pub Landlord takes on Ukip |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/14/nigel-farage-pub-landlord-al-murray |first=Frances |last=Perraudin |date=14 January 2015 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=14 January 2015}}</ref> Murray said: "it seems to me that the UK is ready for a bloke waving a pint around, offering common sense solutions", adding: "let it be known that like many of the parliamentary hopefuls in the forthcoming election, I have no idea where South Thanet is – but did that stop [[Margaret Thatcher]] from saving the [[Falkland Islands]]? No!”<ref name="The Daily Telegraph 14 Jan 2015">{{cite news |title=Watch: Al Murray Pub Landlord to take on Nigel Farage |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11345488/Watch-Al-Murray-Pub-Landlord-to-take-on-Nigel-Farage.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114232653/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11345488/Watch-Al-Murray-Pub-Landlord-to-take-on-Nigel-Farage.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 January 2015 |author=<!--Agency staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=14 January 2015 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=14 January 2015}}</ref>

Farage appeared to welcome his new opponent on [[Twitter]], saying "the more, the merrier", and a spokesperson for the UKIP [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]] said: "at last, serious competition in the constituency".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sky.com/story/1407841/al-murray-pub-landlord-to-run-against-farage |title=Al Murray Pub Landlord To Run Against Farage |date=14 January 2015 |work=Sky News}}</ref> The [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] candidate, [[Craig Mackinlay]], said he enjoyed Murray's video and his proclamations but was not worried that the comedian would split the anti-UKIP vote.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/steerpike/2015/01/al-murray-in-twitter-spat-with-ukip-mep/ |title=Al Murray in Twitter spat with Ukip MEP |author=Steerpike |journal=[[The Spectator]] |date=15 January 2015}}</ref> Finally, the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] candidate, Will Scobie, insisted it was "always good to have people putting their names forward to stand" and that Murray would "certainly make things interesting".<ref name="Guardian 14 Jan 2015"/> When nominations for South Thanet were released on 9 April 2015, it was confirmed that Murray would appear on the ballot paper with no description, rather than his FUKP name and emblem.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thanet.gov.uk/your-services/elections-and-voting/parliamentary-election-2015/south-thanet/ |title=Election of a Member of Parliament: South Thanet Constituency |work=Thanet District Council |access-date=26 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507183430/http://thanet.gov.uk/your-services/elections-and-voting/parliamentary-election-2015/south-thanet |archive-date=7 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pub-landlord-al-murray-uses-fire-engine-to-launch-fukp-election-campaign-for-south-thanet-10164069.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412074239/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pub-landlord-al-murray-uses-fire-engine-to-launch-fukp-election-campaign-for-south-thanet-10164069.html |archive-date=2015-04-12 |url-access=limited |url-status=live 
|title=Pub Landlord Al Murray uses fire engine to launch FUKP election campaign for South Thanet |first=Helen |last=Nianias |date=9 April 2015 |newspaper=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Z-elections-Thanet/story-26309832-detail/story.html |title=An A to Z of the elections in Thanet |first=Kathy |last=Bailes |date=9 April 2015 |newspaper=Isle of Thanet Gazette |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703023306/http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Z-elections-Thanet/story-26309832-detail/story.html |archive-date=3 July 2015}}</ref>

The results of the election were announced on 8 May, revealing that Murray received 318 votes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nianias |first=Helen |title=It's not just Nigel Farage: Al Murray the Pub Landlord loses South Thanet bid despite patriotic pledges |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/its-not-just-nigel-farage-al-murray-the-pub-landlord-loses-south-thanet-bid-despite-patriotic-pledges-10235430.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509094552/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/its-not-just-nigel-farage-al-murray-the-pub-landlord-loses-south-thanet-bid-despite-patriotic-pledges-10235430.html |archive-date=2015-05-09 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=11 June 2015|newspaper=The Independent|date=8 May 2015}}</ref> When it was announced that Farage had failed to get elected, coming second in the poll to the Conservative candidate [[Craig Mackinlay]], Murray's reaction – feigning shock and clapping on stage – garnered widespread media attention.<ref>{{cite news |last=Connor |first=Laura |title=Watch Al Murray's priceless reaction as UKIP leader Nigel Farage is beaten by Tories in his target seat |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/watch-al-murrays-priceless-reaction-5660841 |access-date=11 May 2015 |newspaper=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] |date=8 May 2015}}</ref> Speaking to the media during the vote count, Murray invited Farage to a drink in his pub to drown his sorrow at losing.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nigel Farage can drown his sorrows in my pub should he lose, says Al Murray - video |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2015/may/08/nigel-farage-can-drown-sorrows-my-pub-should-lose-south-thanet-al-murray |access-date=11 May 2015 |agency=[[ITN]] |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=8 May 2015}}</ref>