A loony lady near Llanwrtyd Wells is raising money so she can join the candidates in the December general election.

Lady Lily the Pink, real name Bernice Benton, is hoping to crowd fund £500 to pay for her deposit so she can be the Official Monster Raving Loony Party (OFMRLP) candidate for the Brecon and Radnorshire seat on Thursday, December 12.

Unlike the “big parties” such as Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, OMRLP candidates don’t receive backing from outside sources meaning they have to either pay their own deposits or they rely on donations.

Lady Lily said: “We’ve had three or four elections in four years. Each of us at the Monster Raving Loony Party have to raise our own deposits.

“Some candidates have enough money to self-fund or pay the deposit, but I’m not in that position. Basically it’s democracy but only for those with £500 in their pockets.

“I am trying to raise £500 for the deposit. If I don’t raise that much, then whatever I do raise will be donated to Brecon and Radnorshire based charities.

“If I do raise that much, and if I then get a 5% majority which gives me my deposit back, it will then also go back to those charities.”

The Llanwrtyd Wells guest house owner also stood in the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election in August.

This pre-Christmas general election will be the third since 2015, along with the 2016 Welsh Assembly election, the 2016 EU referendum and the EU Parliament election in May this year.

Lady Lily said: “Hopefully I will get to stand though because it’s a protest option for voters.

“I set up the Crowdfunding page ages ago when we thought there might be an election but I sat quietly on it until now. I shared it on Tuesday night when they announced the election in December and the first £100 is already in.

“It’s set at more than £500 on the page because it’s also for attending things while I'd be campaigning.”

Lady Lily, with her slogan “If you don’t know what to think, vote pink”, received 334 votes in the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election at the start of August – defeating UKIP’s Liz Phillips who finished sixth with only 242 votes.

Lady Lily the Pink, who handed out apples and cupcakes at the count, was accompanied on the night by the head of the party Howling Laud Hope.

The pink lady said: “If I were to be elected, then I’d unfortunately probably not been loony enough so I’d be kicked out of the party. These days it’s hard to tell politicians a part only we’re more colourful and funny.

“In all seriousness, I would be more of a servant to the people than my party which is what politics needs at the moment. I’d focus on the elderly, people who feel disenfranchised with politics and issues like homelessness.

“The last few years, we’ve been a country which has avoided other issues through focusing on Brexit. We need to stop being a country with politicians who are only interested in looking after their own interests and profiles, but we need someone who will represent the people.”

Lady Lily, who has promised multicoloured windmills if she is elected, said that it’s more about getting people to the polling stations than winning the seat for her.

She said: "If I don’t raise enough for the deposit, then I can’t stand sadly.

I’m hoping people can donate a couple of quid here and there. Sadly I haven’t got much manoeuver space in terms of funding it."

“My main priority if I’m honest is getting people to vote. I don’t care how they vote, I just want them to vote.”