A GREEN parliamentary candidate has got himself in the mix for the upcoming election with a novel method of fundraising.

Phil Chamberlain has raised more than £500, the amount he needs for a deposit to stand as an MP, through a crowdfunding campaign which offers homemade cakes as a reward for donors.

He believes that adding a personal touch to his campaigning is the recipe for success and has had pledges for funding from 16 backers so far.

As well as baking a personalised cake for those who donate more than £20 to his cause Mr Chamberlain is also offering a  private dinner at his house for those who pledge more than £100 to the fund and a thank you on his website for anyone who donates £10 or more.

A parish councillor in his home town of Colerne, Mr Chamberlain has considerable experience with  making curries but says his cakes, made from ingredients sourced in Corsham, Wiltshire, are not necessarily anything to rave about and are more a personal thank-you.

Mr Chamberlain added: “I don’t think anybody should be looking out for me on the Great British Bake Off.

“They’re just good old fashioned cakes like Victoria sponges or maybe some carrot cake.

“The idea was that I’d bake some cakes and the larger the donation the larger the cake.

“We’ve got a couple of people who donated more than £100 so I’ll also be cooking a meal for them.”

Despite losing the election battle when he stood for North Wiltshire in 2010 Mr Chamberlain thinks that this year’s surge in registered Green Party memberswill lead to many more voters considering alternatives and voting for less traditional parties.

This year also marks another milestone for the Greens, who for the first time will be fielding a candidate in every Wiltshire consitutency in the coming election.

Mr Chamberlain added: “The support we have now is far in excess of what we had last time and I think we’re going to do astonishingly well.”

Because of the initial success of his fundraising efforts Mr Chamberlain is now asking for people to donate up to another £300, taking his total up to £800, to pay for the cost of campaigning materials.

With 13 days left of his pledge drive Phil is on the way to meet his target but needs a few more backers to prove that his election bid is more than a half-baked idea.

To see Phil’s campaign video and to donate visit his page at http://bit.ly/1DdyGQ