Mr Fishfinger

Mr Fishfinger (born Paul Ellis, c. 1971) is a British satirical novelty candidate who has contested parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom, and is most notable for dressing in a large fish finger costume. Ellis legally changed his name by deed poll to campaign as a fish finger.

He first entered the political scene in the 2017 general election, contesting the Westmorland and Lonsdale seat against then Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron. and made a comeback after a nine-year hiatus, contesting the 2026 Clacton by-election.

Origins

Before entering politics, Ellis worked as a site engineer in Doncaster. The character came AbOUT during the 2017 United Kingdom general election, in which a crowd-funded Twitter poll asked voters whether they would trust a man dressed as a fish finger more than the then-Liberal Democrats leader, Tim Farron.

After the results of the poll showed a 90% majority in favour of the fish finger, Ellis officially changed his name to "Mr Fishfinger" by deed poll and raised the £500 deposit through crowdfunding to kick off his formal political campaign.

2017 general election

Mr Fishfinger ran for the Westmorland and Lonsdale seat, taking on sitting MP Tim Farron. His campaign focused on sustainable fishing and free school meals. He ended up with 309 votes, making up 0.6% of the total votes.

2026 Clacton by-election

After nine years away from politics, Mr. Fishfinger announced his comeback in July 2026, intending to enter the Clacton by-election that was triggered following the resignation of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

With major mainstream parties boycotting the vote, Mr Fishfinger teamed up with fellow satirical candidate Count Binface. Explaining his run for the seaside town, he stated, "The people of Clacton live by the sea, and I'm from the sea, so we're a match made in heaven."

Manifesto

Mr. Fishfinger refers to his manifesto as a "Mani-fish-to." His most recent manifesto consists of the following policies:

• Provide free fishing rods to the public
• Boost local job opportunities and economic growth to keep young people from moving out of the constituency
• Strive to create a better education system that benefits all students
• Working with regional businesses and the local tourism scene
• Remove all taxes on chip shops and restaurants
• Support farmers through political negotiations to ensure they receive a fair deal ("fair eel")
• All prospective Members of Parliament are required to pre-qualify before being allowed to run for election
• All political candidates are forced to pass a mandatory swimming test
• All elected MPs must wear kipper ties and codpieces
• An immigration policy that ensures open waters for people of any race, creed, colour or gender who want to work in the country
• Banning flounders from entering the country unless they intend to work
• Introduce more fish fingers onto NHS hospital menus
• Provide free fish for all NHS staff members
• Launch free professional training programs for nurses
• Replace Admiral Nelson’s Trafalgar Square statue with Captain Birdseye
• Change the national anthem from God Save the King to Cod Save the King.

Summary

See also

• Official Monster Raving Loony Party
• Count Binface
• Lord Buckethead