Kitty Litter: Drag queen quits to stand as Tory councillor

Kitty Litter will appear on ballot papers in Blackpool as William Coughlin

One of the best known drag queens in Blackpool could soon be turning his back on the stage after 20 years to become a Conservative councillor – if successful in the May local elections.

Kitty Litter, who will appear on ballot papers as William Coughlin, also runs an eponymous café in the Lancashire seaside resort and had a cameo role in the Channel 5 Benefits Britain documentary last year.

During the programme, he issued a foul-mouthed – but tongue-in-cheek – tirade against “transient bastards who get all kinds off this government and do fuck all”.

Announcing his selection to stand for the local authority, he told the Blackpool Gazette he has been performing up and down the country and his comedy act was “comedy through-and-through – there’s no malice”.

Coughlin said his decision to stand was borne out of a sense of civic duty. He offered to donate his council allowance to charity.

Pat Francioni, of Blackpool Conservatives, told the Gazette he was a good man who is not Kitty Litter “but William Coughlin”.