Happy Mondays dancer Bez has launched his bid for political power today unveiling a billboard poster and handing out free beer.

The maraca-shaking, whose real name is Mark Berry, posed atop a ladder as the poster went up in Salford, where he will stand in the forthcoming general election as leader of the Reality Party.

The seat is currently held by former government minister, Hazel Blears who is to step down from Westminster in May.

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The winner of Celebrity Big Brother in 2005, gave a Churchillian two finger salute to a handful of supporters and press at the event to launch his bid for power.

An environmentalist and anti-fracking campaigner, he gave away free beer, with bottles of ale made on 'Frack Free' land handed out among supporters at the event.

Bez said he had 'never voted before in my life' but after a personal political awakening now thought it was 'every man's duty to vote.'

His political priorities he said were the NHS and fighting the austerity cuts, claiming the deficit in the UK's public finances is 'a complete lie' as the government can print its own money.

He said: 'It's going to be difficult. But its not about the winning its about the fight and how well you fight and about getting our message across, what we've got to say. 

'If we can get our message across of what we've got to say. And if we can make a small difference and get the big parties listening to the people about our true concerns then we've done our job.'

Bez also called Prime Minister David Cameron a 'puppet' of big business corporations and bankers.

He added: 'The Labour party was supposed to defend the people and be for the working class, but now they only have ever so slightly different polices from the Conservatives.

'Power needs to return to the people. People must join the revolution which is The Reality Party.'