Doncaster Reform UK drag queen to stand in by-election
A drag queen LGBTQ+ politician who stood to become mayor of Doncaster and who recently launched a ‘butch’ Captain England alter-ego to promote Pride events is to stand in a by-election for Reform UK.
Michael Felse, who stood as an independent candidate at the 2009 Doncaster mayoral election, has recently switched to Nigel Farage’s party and has called on ‘woke’ councils to stop funding LGBTQ+ events.
Mr Felse, who also stood for the English Democrats in Dewsbury at the 2010 General Election, was chosen to lead the 2011 Manchester Pride festival as his alter ego drag queen Ethol Mary, who he described as "more like a Grimsby docker than Lady Gaga."
He has now announced he will be standing for Reform UK at an upcoming by-election in Salford.
He is among the six candidates vying to become a councillor for the Barton and Winton ward.
Mr Felse stood for the English Democrats in Salford’s 2012 mayoral election, where he finished eighth with 3.6% of the vote.
He told Salford Now: “I have lived in Salford for 30 years. I was born in a Doncaster mining village. My first job from school was at the coal mine. I feel proud to be working class.”
He recently revealed he had ditched his drag queen persona in favour of a “butch” character he has dubbed Captain England to promote Pride events across the country.
He said: “I am launching my 2026 new alter-ego to promote Pride.
“My drag dress has been ditched for butch Captain England, the look that fights for Diversity, Inclusion, Cohesion and Kinship - (DICK).”
Mr Felse said readers of LGBTQ+ news website PinkNews had criticised him after revealing he had joined Reform UK.
He said: “Hundreds of online lefties on Pink News attacked my honest opinion instead of facing up to the facts of left wing councils’ woke projects that waste millions.
"All councils should stop funding Pride events that bring little value to social inclusion and instead get on with the bread and butter council duties.”
Since joining Reform, he has called on Mr Farage to make Doncaster Reform’s northern headquarters and has previously called on him to stand as an MP in Doncaster and to make it “the capital of Brexit.”
Although he was brought up and lived in Rossington, Mr Felse later moved to Manchester, working on community projects for the gay, lesbian and bisexual community.
Back in 2011 he said: "It's considered to be an honour to be the Pride Queen and for some strange reason this year it is going to be me."
He said he was "dared" to enter the race to become the Parade Queen for Manchester Pride, leading more than a hundred floats through the city centre.
Voters will head to the polls on 22 April for the by-election.
Kirsty Anne Downie (Independent), Anthony Ian Duke (Liberal Democrats), Catherine Goodyer (Labour), Jack Groom (Green Party), Holly Ann Muldoon (Conservative) are the five other candidates set to contest the vacant seat.
The by-election was called following the death of long-serving Labour councillor David Lancaster, who passed away in February after 60 years of public service.