Captain Beany announces 2024 will be his last election

Port Talbot legend and popular figure Captain Beany has announced that he will not run in any more general elections after 2024. Barry Kirk who changed his name by deed poll to Captain Beany in 1991 is also known for formerly running Wales' only dedicated baked beans museum, which closed for good in June 2023.

Captain Beany, who described himself as “one of the nation’s great British eccentrics”, is standing as an independent candidate for the Aberfan Maesteg seat in the general election. Captain Beany was brought to life after seeing The Who singer Roger Daltrey pose in a bathtub of beans while holding a Heinz beans tin for the band’s album cover titled The Who Sell Out.

The 69-year-old started in politics in 1991, running to be an MP in various elections including the 2019 general election. He has now told WalesOnline that he will not run again but that he is "more confident than ever" for 2024.

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He said: "I'll be honest I've been running in elections since the 1990s, and I've 'bean' there and done it all now so this will be my last time. I'm really excited for tonight though and I'm feeling more confident than ever so you never know what can happen."

Earlier in the election campaign he told PA: "There’s people who have got these high and mighty, flaky party policies… How about looking into the hearts of the common person, ask them what they want?" For the latest analysis of the biggest stories, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.

"People now, they’re not naive. They’re looking at these party policies and thinking ‘You’ve done this before, you’ve made promises that you can’t keep’. I’m saying to people, ‘How about you tell me what you want and see if I can give it to you?’ It’s a no-brainer.”

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