During the film ‘Brewster’s Millions’ (1985) the main character Monty Brewster, played by Richard Pryor,
is tasked with having to spend $30,000,000 in thirty days in order to inherent ten times that amount.
The only catch being he must not have anything tangible to show for it after the thirty days are up. Struggling to spend such a large sum of money in such a short space of time he realises the easiest way to waste money is on funding political campaigns. Unhappy with the mayoral candidates to choose from, as one is just as bad as the other, he runs himself – encouraging people not even to vote for him, but to vote for ‘none of the above’.
is tasked with having to spend $30,000,000 in thirty days in order to inherent ten times that amount.
The only catch being he must not have anything tangible to show for it after the thirty days are up. Struggling to spend such a large sum of money in such a short space of time he realises the easiest way to waste money is on funding political campaigns. Unhappy with the mayoral candidates to choose from, as one is just as bad as the other, he runs himself – encouraging people not even to vote for him, but to vote for ‘none of the above’.
Harry Meadley has re-rendered the original logo from the film in order to continue the campaign’s message at a time when it seems most needed. In the last few years various ‘none of the above’ campaigns and candidates have appeared around the UK - often being blocked by the Electoral Commission citing the 'Registration of Political Parties (Prohibited Words and Expressions) (Amendment) Order 2005’ which states that no political party can be registered in the UK under the name "None of the Above”.
On the 2nd February 2015 the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee published the 'Voter engagement
in the UK: follow up’ report within which it states that of everyone surveyed ‘having the option to vote for
“none of the above” on the ballot paper is the proposal which has had the largest support’ (70%) recommending to Government that ‘this change would enable people to participate at elections even if they did not wish to vote for any of the candidates presented. If large numbers of people did choose to cast their vote in this way it would serve as a wakeup call for candidates and parties that they needed to do more to gain the support of the electorate’.
in the UK: follow up’ report within which it states that of everyone surveyed ‘having the option to vote for
“none of the above” on the ballot paper is the proposal which has had the largest support’ (70%) recommending to Government that ‘this change would enable people to participate at elections even if they did not wish to vote for any of the candidates presented. If large numbers of people did choose to cast their vote in this way it would serve as a wakeup call for candidates and parties that they needed to do more to gain the support of the electorate’.
