Bobby Smith (born February 1982) is a British political and fathers' rights activist. He is the founder and leader of the Give Me Back Elmo party which he set up to seek to change the law in family courts after his own experiences.
Political activity
Smith stood in the Witney constituency for the Give Me Back Elmo party in the 2015 general election. He and the party received media coverage as Smith and two other members of the party waited with placards to greet the Prime Minister David Cameron at the polling station where he cast his vote on election day (7 May 2015), and Smith appeared while dressed as Elmo at the vote count in numerous photos with the Prime Minister and behind him on the stage. Smith ultimately finishing tenth of twelve candidates, with 37 votes (0.1%).
Smith stood in the Chells ward at the 2016 Stevenage Borough Council election, receiving 23 votes.
Smith was a candidate in the 2016 Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough by-election receiving 58 votes (0.2%), finishing in last place.
Smith stood in the 2016 Tooting by-election and received nine votes, finishing second-last of fourteen candidates.
He received just three votes, finishing last, in the general election in June 2017, standing in the Maidenhead constituency where the Prime Minister Theresa May was re-elected.
Smith was an independent candidate in the 2019 Peterborough by-election, receiving five votes (0.01%) and again coming last.
He stood against the Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Uxbridge and South Ruislip in the 2019 General Election as an Independent, receiving eight votes and finishing eleventh of twelve candidates.
Activism
In August 2014, Smith camped outside the holiday home of Prime Minister David Cameron, in Daymer Bay, Cornwall. Smith was briefly arrested after using a megaphone in an attempt to speak to Cameron the previous day.
In September 2014, Smith and fellow activist Carol Wheeler protested outside the home of Broxbourne MP Charles Walker. Smith said "My children are growing up without a father, I want a review of my case, or for someone to bring it up for debate – to give fathers equal rights, ending secrecy in Family Courts and judgements on balance of probability." Walker spoke of the protest in Parliament as a point of order, saying, "I recognise the right to protest, but the use of a loud-hailer made it almost impossible to hold a conversation with those visiting my surgeries."
In November 2014, Smith, accompanied by Wheeler, covered the A Real Birmingham Family statue with a white sheet and pictures of his own two daughters in protest at no father being included in the statue. Smith said "They've depicted the normal family with no fathers. There's nothing wrong with single mothers, but this statue is saying one person can do both jobs, and I believe kids are always better off with both parents in their lives." The director of the Ikon Gallery Jonathan Watkins said of Smith's protest after meeting with him, "We had a good exchange of ideas, he has his take on things, and I have my take on things. I think it's great that somebody has the freedom to express themselves. It's all good, it's part of this democratic society that we cherish."
In December 2014, Smith, along with other protesters from New Fathers 4 Justice, carried out a protest at the Witney constituency home of Prime Minister David Cameron, that resulted in Smith and the other protesters being issued with an harassment order. In a video taken by the protesters, Cameron told the group, "I really think you've made your point and you can go now. You are frightening my children and the neighbours and that's not fair." Smith said, "We have been protesting within the law, we haven’t been using a loud hailer and were within our rights to be there" and "I’m not going to give up".