THE colourful man behind Brighton’s Alternative Panto is to stand for Brighton and Hove City Council as an independent.

Fifty years since he first stood for election, theatre entrepreneur Brian Ralfe will stand for Central Hove.

Mr Ralfe, who lives in The Drive, Hove, said: “I’m doing it as I’m so anti-Europe and currently disagree with a lot of what Cameron is doing.

“I think the time has come when we need politicians who do not toe the line.

“We need independents in local politics. I will answer to the people and make my own mind up.”

If elected he would remove cycle lanes, which he claims have “destroyed the environment” and have led to more traffic.

He said he would never have backed the i360, which he dubbed a “white elephant”.

He is best known as a cabaret performer and producer but Brighton-born Mr Ralfe has had a variety of jobs, from helping run the family bakery to driving taxis.

He served in the military in the 1980s and was part of the British taskforce during the Falklands conflict.

Burning political ambition has never left him, despite being unsuccessful on numerous occasions since first standing in 1964.

He said: “I was born and bred here. I have got to know a lot of people and for some reason they come to me to sort things out. Standing for election is an extension of that.

“I picked Central Hove as I don’t want the Greens to take both seats and start making a mess of the place as they have done in Brighton.”

Despite standing for election dozens of times over the years, he has yet to be elected to the council.

He said: “I keep doing it as I love the city. It doesn’t matter where I have gone, I have always come back.

“I took a Brighton plaque with me to the Falklands and some day I hope somebody finds where I buried it.”