Eddie Izzard Is Running for Parliament Again

The old adage of “dress for the job you want” has never been more true for Eddie Izzard and her Barbie-pink blazer.

In recent weeks, residents of Brighton, England may have spotted an authoritatively styled Izzard in the streets, shaking hands and making her case for why she should be the Labour Party candidate for the open seat in parliament in the Brighton Pavilion constituency. The internationally successful, fashionably transgressive comic has been angling towards a life in politics for the past few years, and, after an unsuccessful bid for the MP position in Sheffield Central last year which saw Izzard miss the Labour nomination by fewer than 300 votes, Izzard is as confident in her new campaign as she is in the eye-catching skirt-jacket combo featured in promotional photos.

Izzard stated on her recently launched campaign website, “I'm standing to be the next Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion, to support this brilliant city and its diverse and vibrant community.” And, of course, to piss off Tories.

“Whilst the Tories stoke fear and encourage culture wars, Brighton has shown the country another way; Open-minded and welcoming to all, with a thriving arts, creative and cultural scene,” Izzard writes. “But for 13 years the Tories have tried to drag us down. Police numbers, cut. Fewer dentists, doctors and nurses. A rail network grinding to a halt, and sewage dumping into the sea.”

Izzard says that, as MP, her priorities would be, "Education, the climate crisis, housing, healthcare, crime and jobs," promising to execute on them more effectively than Green Party MP Caroline Lucas who currently holds the seat, but will not run again.

The cross-dressing-to-cross-gender comedian is a prolific competitor, having run 43 marathons in 51 days to support the charity event Sport Relief in 2009. Now we’ll see if she can run a campaign.