Lord Toby Jug

Lord Toby Jug[3] (born Brian Borthwick, 18 December 1965 – 2 May 2019)[4][2] was a British politician. He was the leader of the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire branch of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, serving as the party's media officer and a prospective parliamentary candidate, until being expelled from the Loony Party in 2014. He founded The Eccentric Party of Great Britain in 2015.

This article is about the British politician. For the pottery jug in the form of a seated person, see Toby Jug.

Lord Toby Jug
Lord Toby Jug at the official opening of the Ramsey Branch of the Eccentric Party in August 2016
Personal details
Born
Brian Borthwick[1]

18 December 1965[2]
West Ham, London, England
Died(2019-05-02)2 May 2019 (aged 53)
NationalityBritish
Political partyOfficial Monster Raving Loony Party (until 2014)
The Eccentric Party of Great Britain (2015–19)

Party involvement

Monster Raving Loony Party

Lord Toby Jug joined the Monster Raving Loony Party in 1987, and described himself as its Shadow Minister for Mental Health.[5][6]

In April 2009, Jug called for a statue of Oliver Cromwell in St Ives to be replaced by one of Screaming Lord Sutch.[7] In 2012, Jug presided over a Blue plaque unveiling at London's Ace Cafe in memory of Sutch, a longtime South Harrow resident, who died in 1999. The plaque was paid for by the bookmaker and online gambling organisation William Hill, a former sponsor of the Loony Party.[8][9][10][11] In November 2013 Jug held a graveside gathering celebrating the life of Screaming Lord Sutch.[12]

During the 2013 South Shields by-election campaign, Jug wrote to The Guardian and The Independent, claiming that the Loony Party objected to the terms "fruitcakes" and "loonies" being applied to UK Independence Party and other parliamentary candidates. He went on to describe UKIP as "nothing but opportunists, seeking a populist platform for their extremist views".[13][14][15]

Jug was expelled from the Monster Raving Loony Party in 2014 over comments made about UKIP leader Nigel Farage, and for his criticism of pub chain J D Wetherspoon,[16] a company which the Loony party had been attempting to attract as a sponsor.[17] Party leader Howling Laud Hope said that it was "about the fourth time we have asked him to leave the party" and that the Loony Party was "not in the game of upsetting people".[16] When leaving the party, Jug expressed concern over racist comments expressed by Hope in a Guardian article from 14 years previously.[18]

The Eccentric Party of Great Britain

In January 2015 Jug founded "The Eccentric Party of Great Britain" in St Ives,[19] after the Electoral Commission had rejected more than 30 suggested names, including the "Real Loony Party" and the "United Kingdom Independent Loony Party", for being too similar to those of other parties.[20][21][22]

General and council elections

Jug stood in two general elections against Tony Banks in Newham North West in 1992, and its successor, West Ham in 1997.[23]

At the 2005 general election, Jug stood against then Conservative leader Michael Howard in Folkestone and Hythe as "Lord Toby Jug Borthwick".[24][25] Jug polled 175 votes beating three other candidates.[26]

At the 2009 Cambridgeshire County Council election, Jug polled 566 votes in St Ives ward, more than either Labour candidate and also raised £275 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.[27] [28][29][30] At the 2010 general election, he stood as candidate for Huntingdon and polled 548 votes.[31][32] In May 2012, Jug campaigned in the District Council Elections, polling 118 votes, coming last.[33] In March 2012, Jug announced plans to stand as a joke candidate for the position of Cambridgeshire's Police and Crime Commissioner.[34] In June 2012 Jug stood in the St Ives Town Council by-election, and polled slightly ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate.[35]

At the launch of the 2013 Cambridgeshire County Council election campaign, Jug was accompanied by Loony minister for floating voters Lady Jezebel Fortescue Luxury Yacht and accidentally dropped his leaflets into the River Ouse.[36] He later polled 197 votes, again standing for St Ives ward.

In 2015, Jug announced his intention to stand as a prospective parliamentary candidate for Huntingdon at the general election, for The Eccentric Party of Great Britain.[37] He joked that he should be included in the televised leaders' debates, because "although we are a small party, so are the Liberal Democrats".[38] A month before the election, Jug planned to stand in both Huntingdon and the constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, after the Eccentric Party's original candidate for the second area fell ill. When told he could not stand in two constituencies, Jug stood down from the Huntingdon election.[39] Standing against Boris Johnson, and against Howling Laud Hope of the Monster Raving Loony Party, Jug polled 50 votes.[40]

Personal life

As Brian Borthwick, Jug was the guitarist in a band with the Loony Party's founder, Screaming Lord Sutch.[16][41] Sutch gave him the nickname "Toby Jug" because of his rotund appearance,[42] and Borthwick later adopted the name by deed poll.[42] He described himself as a "professional jester", regarding his Union Jack-wearing Loony persona as an "alter ego".[42] He wore a top hat which previously belonged to Lord Sutch.[43]

In May 2014, Jug publicly admitted suffering from alcoholism.[44][45][46]

In May 2014, Jug took part in a film A Different Drummer: Celebrating Eccentrics.[47]

Jug died on 2 May 2019, at the age of 53.[48]

gollark: Try not listening on port 443?
gollark: Odd.
gollark: You're accessing it via `grafana.domain.com`, right, not the IP?
gollark: Can you post your config?
gollark: I've gone for Norse gods, which is admittedly kind of overdone now, but is easy to remember.

References
  1. Grafton-Green, Patrick (9 September 2014). "New EU laws see News Shopper story about north Kent chief of Monster Raving Loony Party wiped from Google searches". Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  2. Morton, Sophie (3 May 2019). "Newham-born Eccentric Party leader Lord Toby Jug dies". Newham Recorder. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  3. Horton, Helena (26 August 2015). "Lord Toby Jug banned from Facebook because they don't believe it's his real name". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  4. Obituary, "The Times", 6 May 2019
  5. "St Ives' Party Animal". Hunts Post. 3 April 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  6. "Lord Toby Jug plans Acer Ward protest ahead of final decision on closure". Hunts Post. 29 February 2012.
  7. "Loony Toby bids to oust Cromwell". Cambridge News. 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014.
  8. "Screaming Lord Sutch Honoured in Blue Plaque Award". iharrow.com. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  9. "Blue Plaque in memory of Screaming Lord Sutch". Ace-cafe-london.com. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  10. "Plaque for Sutch". loonyparty.com. 5 November 2012.
  11. "Screaming Lord Sutch Heritage Foundation Blue Plaque Unveiling at the Ace Cafe". Allevents.in. 4 November 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  12. "Lord Sutch's Graveside Gathering". headstonenorth.co.uk. 4 November 2013.
  13. Lord Toby Jug (30 April 2013). "Letters: Loony or not, Ukip are here to stay". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  14. Lord Toby Jug (30 April 2013). "Letters: Ukip – rise of the anti-everything party". The Independent. London: Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  15. "Ukip Not Worthy Of 'Fruitcake' Description, Says The Monster Raving Loony Party". Huffington Post. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  16. "Split in Monster Raving Loony Party as Lord Toby Jug, of St Ives, sets up new party". Cambridge News. 26 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  17. Lord Toby Jug (11 July 2013). "Wetherspoon pub in St Ives would be a loony idea". Hunts Post.
  18. Hugh Muir (9 July 2014). "Hugh Muir's diary: Watch out, there's still a Sir Humphrey about". The Guardian.
  19. "Elections: Lord Toby Jug launches Eccentric Party". Cambridge News. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  20. Makey, Julian (7 October 2014). "Row over name for Loony Lord Toby Jug's new political party". Cambridge News. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  21. "Lip-balm super-glue to halt obesity – will you vote Lord Toby Jug at general election?". BT.com.
  22. "Lord Toby Jug launches new political party". celebratingeccentrics.com.
  23. Brinicombe, Lucy (3 May 2005). "Lording it with his totally loony ideas". The Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  24. "UK | UK Politics | Election 2005 | Full list of candidates". BBC News. 3 May 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  25. "UK | UK Politics | Election 2005 | Traveller to stand against Howard". News.bbc.co.uk. 11 April 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  26. Robert McCrum. "Groundhog Day for Tory England". the Guardian.
  27. "Vote Loony and help children's charity". Hunts Post.
  28. "Blue is still the colour but Bradney is derailed | Cambridge News | Latest News Headlines From Cambridge City & Cambridgeshire | National News By". Cambridge News. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  29. "Labour fourth after Loony Party". Ellee Seymour MCIPR.
  30. Jason Beattie (5 June 2009). "Labour wiped off the county council map in local elections". mirror.
  31. "Lord Toby Jug, Monster Raving Loony Party, Huntingdon". Oxfordmail.co.uk. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  32. "Results of the May 6, 2010 General Election in Huntingdon". Huntingdon Liberal Democrats.
  34. "Let a Loony loose for law and order, party leader says". Cambridge News.
  35. "Independent wins council by-election". Cambridge News.
  36. "Official Monster Raving Loony candidate starts election campaign with an accidental leaflet drop | News & Crier Latest News in St Neots, Huntingdon & St Ives | Events & Sports in Huntingdon". Cambridge-news.co.uk. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  37. "Call for super strength beer and cider to be banned from sale". Cambridge News.
  38. "TV debate: Eccentric Party launched by Lord Toby Jug in St Ives demands a place". Cambridge News.
  39. Makey, Julian (9 April 2015). "General election: Lord Toby jug pulls out of Huntingdon seat to fight Boris Johnson". Cambridge News. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  40. Emily Boneham. "Boris sweeps home as Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip". Hillingdontimes.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  41. The Book of Bands Alain, Christine; et al. "SCREAMING LORD SUTCH's SAVAGES: Regular Savages". thebookofbands2.blogspot.co.uk.
  42. "'Drink left me homeless and doctors told me I only had months to live,' says Monster Raving Loony Lord Toby Jug". Cambridge News. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  43. "Let a Loony loose for law and order, party leader says | Cambridge News | Latest News Headlines From Cambridge City & Cambridgeshire | National News By". Cambridge-news.co.uk. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  44. Hywel Barrett. "Lord Toby Jug tells the tale of his battle with alcoholism". Hunts Post.
  45. "'Drink left me homeless and doctors told me I only had months to live,' says Monster Raving Loony Lord Toby Jug". Cambridge News.
  46. "Alcohol charity the Gainsborough Foundation has seen an increase in inquiries since Lord Toby Jug spoke of his alcoholism". Cambridge News.
  47. "Lord Toby Jug". celebratingeccentrics.com.
  48. Davies, Debbie (3 May 2019). "Eccentric politician Lord Toby Jug has died". Cambs Times. Retrieved 3 May 2019.

Further reading
  • Sharpe, Graham (2005). The Man Who Was Screaming Lord Sutch, Aurum Press, 256 pages. ISBN 978-1854109835
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