Will the real Joanna Lumley please stand up
http://www.bexleytimes.co.uk/content...A41%3A29%3A883
17 April 2008
NAME GAME: The Real Joanna Lumley.
TODAY the Times reveals a candidate running in the Greater London Authority elections claims to be Joanna Lumley.
English Democrat Johanna Munilla, 38, is using the Absolutely Fabulous star's name in a ruse to get supporters to vote her to power in Greenwich and Lewisham.
In her manifesto the Spanish piano teacher turned politician talks about running to get 'justice for England and its
people'.
Now the real Joanna Lumley and the star's agent are probing the claim after we discovered the candidate's stage name and contacted the star.
Agent Kate Plumpton said: "I have certainly not heard of this. Joanna has not mentioned it to me but I will speak to her about this so she is aware."
Johanna Munilla, from Kennington, is listed on the GLA website and uses the former Avenger actress's name amongst others. She is expected to stand under the name Joanna Lumley when voting starts on May 1.
Her biography begins: "My name is Joanna Lumley". She goes on to explain how she learnt about the party through the campaign for an English Parliament and St George's Day events.
In the manifesto she claims 'skinhead yobbos' have hijacked the English flag but her party wants to overturn the idea that the Saint George's flag is a racist symbol.
Under the page headline 'Warning: Read Carefully' she attacks the division between England and Scotland saying English citizens do not have their own voice because Scotland has too much control over the country.
She goes on to blast Prime Minister Gordon Brown for being Scottish and claims the public have been gagged over the issue of an English Parliament,
She rants: "The Labour party Prime minister is Scottish voted by a Scottish constituency, most of the MP are Scottish, and someone made a policy in the Westminster parliament about don't to talk about an English parliament, that is discrimination for all of us that is not democracy. We are a democracy "Democrat" means also freedom to speak."
She also claims millions of pounds of Londoners' money is sent to Scotland, adding: "The English Democrats are not against the UK but we want the same rights if we pay for it. No one should be stupid to pay too much and don't get anything back properly.
"If you travel to Scotland you will be discriminated to be English, you will see only Scottish flags in every where not the UK flag so what is wrong with England."
Steve Uncles, agent for the candidate, said: "For a couple of years now the rules have been that candidates can stand under any name. There are probably about 3,000 Joanna Lumley's out there.
"This is her stage name so she is more well-known as Joanna Lumley. We have not told the real Joanna Lumley." As we went to press Ms Munilla was unavailable for comment.