ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
Theresa May won her own seat easily, but one of her opponents exceeded expectations. This was from the announcement of official results in May's district.
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UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Jonathan David, known as Lord Buckethead - 249.
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SIEGEL: Two-hundred-forty-nine votes for Lord Buckethead. Picture a line of politicians in conventional attire and Lord Buckethead wearing all black and a very tall black bucket over his head - further down the line, the candidate of the official Monster Raving Loony Party and another candidate in a giant Elmo costume. If it sounds like a scene from Monty Python, that's no coincidence.
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JOHN CLEESE: (As commentator) Hello, and welcome to Election Night Special. There's great excitement here at the moment as...
SIEGEL: In 1970, Monty Python did an election night sketch - the Sensible Party versus the Silly Party, whose candidates mostly wore clowns suits.
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CLEESE: (As commentator) Well, there's the first result. And the Silly Party have held Leicester. What do you make of that, Norman?
MICHAEL PALIN: (As commentator) Well, this is largely, as I predicted, except that the Silly Party won.
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SIEGEL: Thus began a real-life British political tradition. In 1981, there was an election to fill a parliamentary vacancy, and a Cambridge student legally changed his name to that of a Python Silly Party candidate.
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GRAHAM CHAPMAN: (As commentator) Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel, Silly...
SIEGEL: As for Lord Buckethead, a candidate of the same name took on Margaret Thatcher in 1987. He won 131 votes. So in 2017, Lord Buckethead claims his 249 votes. Mark a new record for Lord Buckethead.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
