Comic Eddie Izzard said he could only run as a parliamentary candidate in Brighton, Hove or Hastings because of the stranglehold the Conservatives have elsewhere in the county.

Bexhill-raised Izzard told The Argus he would be happy standing anywhere when running for London Mayor or MP in five years time.

However, he added that he has a “strong association” with Sussex from his childhood.

Appearing alongside Labour’s Hove candidate Peter Kyle yesterday evening, he cut a dashing figure in executive skirt-suit in the cosy 14th Hove Scout headquarters in Portslade.

The 53-year-old spoke of his upbringing as the only Labour supporter at the exclusive schools of St Bede’s Prep School and Eastbourne College.

More than 150 parents, business owners, public sector workers and children joined in an hour of questions on corporate tax avoidance, nuclear disarmament, tuition fees and schools.

Avid pro-Europe supporter Mr Izzard said he did not support an EU referendum because it would be a lot of money spent on a “backward” move. He said to “run and hide” from Europe was not an English approach.

On the same day Labour launched its election campaign with Martin Freeman and David Tennant, Mr Izzard said celebrity endorsements did not make a difference and that the general public would “decide with their gut” on May 7.

He added that his cross-dressing might not meet the approval of more senior MPs but said the UK was a “much, more progressive place” than 30 years ago.

Mr Kyle added that the fact little was made of the possibility of him becoming the city’s first openly gay MP was a positive sign of the “normalisation” of previously ostracised groups.

On the chances of him being a Sussex MP in five years time, Mr Izzard said: “We have opportunities in Brighton and Hastings but a lot of Sussex tends to go Tory.

“I’ve played everywhere in the country so I am happy to be anywhere but I do have strong association with here.”

The party donor and activist added: “My dad was always Labour so you do what your dad does.

“When I was at school for the Heath Wilson election, I assumed everybody voted Labour and I would speak to the other pupils and they would all go ‘no my family votes Conservative’.” Speaking after the event, Mr Kyle said: “Eddie brought a sense of excitement but people didn’t want to talk show business, they wanted to talk about the NHS, schooling, real issues.”