Give Him Sunshine

I am cursing myself for missing it, but I cannot tell a lie: my talented colleague Leo Lewis spotted it first here. After a year under the leadership of the actor Tom Conti, the next prime minister of Japan looks most likely to be another icon of the British showbiz scene. You thought he'd died in 1984, but yesterday he was back, launching his campaign for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party under the unconvincing alias "Yasuo Fukuda". Isn't it obvious that this man:

is in fact -

- Eric Morecambe!

Apologies for the quality of the image. To increase the resolution, just screw up your eyes and squint a bit.

But what about his opponent? Who is this "Taro Aso" character, and what is his true identity?

After a certain amount of timewasting, er, brainstorming, Leo and I have come up with the following possibilities:

Captain Scarlet of Thunderbirds (I don't see it myself, but Leo insists it's in the chin):

The eminent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Leonardo (I know, I know - it's a stretch):

Or, perhaps most persuasive of all, Dan Dare's deadly adversary, the Mekon of Mekonta, Lord of the Treens.

All other suggestions are welcome.

Comments

[Jeremy]

have you boys not got work to do ?

jsh

[Jun Okumura]

As for Mr. Fukuda, with a rug and his upper lip at full extention, I give you John Major.

[camera-otoko]

Homer Simpson?

[Eleanor Goldsmith]

You're right, Okumura-sama! Scary....

[Sarah]

Julie Walters gets my vote.

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/m2/aug2005/9/4/000CCA19-8523-1309-83230C01AC1BF814.jpg
See what I mean?

[Guardianista]

Don't forget Ernie...OK, it's a long shot, but there's definitely a resemblance...the impressive silver-grey barnet, perhaps? And I bet Hakuo "baby machine" Yanagisawa's got short fat hairy legs.

http://a923.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00784/22/99/784369922_s.jpg

http://www.kaokab.jp/ranking/kao%20news/yanagisawa-hakuo.gif