Official Monster Raving Loony Party


The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by the musician David Sutch, also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Lord Sutch". It is notable for its deliberately bizarre policies and it effectively exists to satirise British politics, and to offer itself as an alternative for protest voters, especially in constituencies where the party holding a safe seat is unlikely to lose it.

History

Sutch era

Starting in 1963, David Sutch, head of the rock group Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages, stood in British parliamentary elections under a range of party names, initially as the National Teenage Party candidate. At that time the minimum voting age was 21. The party's name was intended to highlight what Sutch and others viewed as hypocrisy, since teenagers were unable to vote because of their supposed immaturity while the adults running the country were involved in scandals such as the Profumo affair.
After being shot during a mugging attempt whilst living in the United States, Sutch returned to Britain and to politics during the 1980s. The "Raving Loony" name first appeared at the Bermondsey by-election of 1983.
A similar concept had appeared earlier in the "Election Night Special" sketch on Monty Python's Flying Circus, in which the Silly and Sensible parties competed; and a similar skit by The Goodies, in which Graeme Garden stood as a "Science Loony". There had also been a "Science Fiction Looney" candidate competing in the 1976 Cambridge by-election.
Two others were important in the formation of the OMRLP: John Desmond Dougrez-Lewis stood in the Crosby by-election of 1981 ; and Dougrez-Lewis stood in the by-election as "Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel", taken from the Election Night Special Monty Python sketch. He had changed his name by deed poll from John Desmond Lewis, on behalf of the Cambridge University Raving Loony Society. CURLS were an "anti-political party" and charity fundraising group formed largely as a fun counter-response to increasingly polarised student politics in Cambridge, and they were responsible for a number of fun stunts. Their Oxford University equivalents were the "Oxford Raving Lunatics". Dougrez-Lewis became Sutch's agent at the notorious Bermondsey by-election mentioned above, where the OMRLP banner was first officially unfurled. Reverting to his original name, Dougrez-Lewis stood for the new party in Cambridge in the 1983 general election.
Another serial offbeat by-election candidate was Commander Bill Boaks, a retired World War II hero who took part in sinking the Bismarck. Boaks campaigned and stood for election for over thirty years on limited funds, always on the issue of road safety. Boaks proved influential on Sutch's direction as the leading anti-politician: "It's the ones who don't vote you really want, because they're the ones who think".
Boaks thought that increased traffic and more roads would cause problems, and he addressed road safety with flamboyant campaigning and a variety of tactics, including private prosecution of public figures who escaped public prosecution for drunk driving.He successfully campaigned with Sutch and others to pedestrianise London's Carnaby Street. While recovering from being struck by a motorcycle, Boaks was one of Sutch's counting agents at Bermondsey in 1983. Following Boaks' death, popular opinion towards road safety has become closer to his views.
Screaming Lord Sutch committed suicide on 16 June 1999 while suffering from clinical depression after his mother, Annie, died in 1998. A biography of Sutch, The Man Who Was Screaming Lord Sutch, was published in April 2005, describing what remained of the party as "wannabes, never-would-bes and some bloody-well-shouldn't-bes".

Post Sutch

Sutch's funeral – organised by his lifetime friend, the session drummer Carlo Little – was attended by members of the OMRLP and Raving Loony Green Giant Party, including Hughes, who with Freddie Zapp brought along a huge floral tribute shaped as an OMRLP rosette. The running of the OMRLP fell to Alan "Howling Laud" Hope and his cat, Catmando, who were the joint winners of the 1999 membership ballot for the replacement for Sutch. Although Hope took over as Party Leader after Sutch's death, the real day-to-day running of the party has always been done by other party members.
The OMRLP fielded 15 candidates in the 2001 general election, at which they had their best general election results to date.
The manifesto, entitled "The Manicfesto", for the 2005 general election featured the major commitment of their long held pledge to abolish income tax, citing as always that it was only meant to be a temporary measure during the Napoleonic Wars. Also included was another old staple, the "Putting Parliament on Wheels" idea of having Parliament sit throughout the country rather than solely in London—with special emphasis this time in its creation negating the need for national/regional assemblies.
The OMRLP has fielded candidates since 2001, with reduced success and losing their deposit. "Top Cat" Owen is the only member of the current OMRLP to poll over 1,000 votes.
The OMRLP's official headquarters was originally the Golden Lion Hotel in Ashburton, Devon, then the Dog & Partridge pub at Yateley in Hampshire, but this was lost shortly after the 2005 general election. Conference venues are now chosen in advance: the 2006 conference was held at Torrington in Devon, and the 2007 conference was held in Jersey.
The party's last elected representative was R. U. Seerius on the 11 member Sawley Parish Council in South Derbyshire, first elected in 2005. He was no longer a member as of May 2007, having failed to appear in no less than 11 statutory meetings during his time in office, due to illness.
The OMRLP succeeded in standing in the two by-elections of 19 July 2007 in Sedgefield and Ealing Southall, but again achieving derisory results: Alan Hope acquiring 129 votes and John Cartwright taking 188, beating the English Democrats but coming behind the Christian Party of the Reverend George Hargreaves and David Braid.
In recognition that reforms were needed, Peter 'T.C.' Owen was moved from the honorary position of Party chairman to that of Deputy Leader of the OMRLP, whilst Anthony "The Jersey Flyer" Blyth took over Owen's role. Owen is one of four Raving Loonies to have scored over 1000 votes in an election.
On 31 May 2017 Hope was interviewed by Andrew Neil on the BBC's Daily Politics programme.

Electoral performance

In 1987, the OMRLP won its first seat on Ashburton Town Council in Devon, as Alan "Howling Laud" Hope was elected unopposed. He subsequently became Deputy Mayor and later Mayor of Ashburton in 1998 until he moved to Hampshire after Sutch's death. For over a decade, his hotel "The Golden Lion" in Ashburton was the party's headquarters and conference centre.
The first party member to win a vote, rather than an uncontested election, was Stuart Hughes, taking the "safe" Conservative Party seat of Sidmouth Woolbrook on East Devon District Council in May 1991. He also took a seat on Sidmouth Town Council from the Conservatives the following day. His success was met with hostility from the local Tories. Hughes' reaction was to attempt to make their lives a misery for the next three years by refusing to pay his Community Charge, then dumping scrap metal in the middle of the council chambers to the value of his unpaid tax when threatened with legal action. He also formed an alliance known as "The Coastals" of Independents and the sole Green Party councillor, giving East Devon's ruling Conservatives the first true opposition they had faced for decades.
Hughes retained his seats with increased majorities in subsequent elections, and took the Devon County Council seat from the local party's Chief Whip in the council.
To date, two councillors have subsequently become mayors: Alan Hope in Ashburton, Devon and Chris "Screwy" Driver on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.
At the Bootle by-election in May 1990, the Loony candidate received more votes than the candidate for the continuing Social Democrats. The story was a major headline in many UK newspapers; ironically, the by-election itself had attracted little coverage. Bootle is still regarded by the party as their most significant result in politics, albeit one largely lampooning the political world.
In the 2019 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election, the OMRLP candidate Lady Lily the Pink polled more votes than the United Kingdom Independence Party. The party got a record number of votes in the 2019 general election.

General elections

By-elections

48th Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
1983 Bermondsey by-electionDavid Sutch970.3
1983 Darlington by-electionDavid Sutch3740.7

49th Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
1983 Penrith and The Border by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch4121.1
1984 Chesterfield by-electionDavid Sutch1780.3
1985 Brecon and Radnor by-electionDavid Sutch2020.5
1986 Fulham by-electionDavid Sutch1340.4
1986 Newcastle-under-Lyme by-electionDavid Sutch2770.7

50th Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
1988 Kensington by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch610.3
1988 Glasgow Govan by-electionLord Sutch1740.6
1988 Epping Forest by-electionDavid Sutch2080.6
1989 Richmond by-electionDavid "Lord" Sutch1670.3
1989 Vale of Glamorgan by-electionDavid Sutch2660.5
1989 Vauxhall by-election"Lord" David Sutch1060.4
1990 Mid Staffordshire by-electionLord David Sutch3360.6
May 1990 Bootle by-electionLord David Sutch4181.2
1990 Knowsley South by-electionDavid Sutch1970.9
November 1990 Bootle by-electionLord David Sutch3101.1
1990 Bradford North by-electionWild Willi Beckett2100.6
1991 Ribble Valley by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch2780.6
1991 Neath by-electionDavid Sutch2630.8
1991 Monmouth by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch3140.7
1991 Liverpool Walton by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch5461.4

51st Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
1993 Newbury by-electionLord David Sutch4320.7
1993 Christchurch by-electionDavid Sutch4040.8
1994 Rotherham by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch1,1144.2
1994 Bradford South by-electionDavid Sutch7272.4
1994 Eastleigh by-electionDavid Sutch7831.4
1995 Islwyn by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch5062.2
1995 Perth and Kinross by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch5861.4
1995 Littleborough and Saddleworth by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch7821.9
1996 Hemsworth by-electionDavid Sutch6523.0
1996 South East Staffordshire by-electionDavid Sutch5061.2

52nd Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
1997 Uxbridge by-electionScreaming Lord Sutch3961.3
1997 Winchester by-electionLord David Sutch3160.6
1999 Eddisbury by-electionAlan Hope2380.7
1999 Kensington and Chelsea by-electionHowling Laud Hope200.1

53rd Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
2002 Ogmore by-electionLeslie Edwards1871.0
2003 Brent East by-electionAlan Hope590.3
2004 Leicester South by-electionR. U. Seerius2250.8
2004 Hartlepool by-electionAlan Hope800.3

54th Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
2006 Blaenau Gwent by-electionsAlan "Howling Laud" Hope3181.2
2006 Bromley and Chislehurst by-electionJohn Cartwright1320.5
2007 Ealing Southall by-electionJohn Cartwright1880.5
2007 Sedgefield by-electionAlan Hope1290.5
2008 Crewe and Nantwich by-electionThe Flying Brick2360.6
2008 Henley by-electionBananaman Owen2420.7
2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-electionMad Cow-Girl4121.7
2009 Norwich North by-electionAlan Hope1440.4

55th Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
2011 Oldham East and Saddleworth by-electionNick "The Flying Brick" Delves1450.4
2011 Barnsley Central by-electionHowling Laud Hope1980.8
2011 Leicester South by-electionHowling Laud Hope5531.6
2012 Bradford West by-electionHowling Laud Hope1110.3
2012 Croydon North by-electionJohn Cartwright1100.4
2012 Manchester Central by-electionHowling Laud Hope780.5
2013 Eastleigh by-electionHowling Laud Hope1360.3
2013 South Shields by-electionAlan "Howling Laud" Hope1970.8
2014 Wythenshawe and Sale East by-electionCaptain Chaplington-Smythe2881.2
2014 Newark by-electionNick The Flying Brick1680.4
2014 Clacton by-electionAlan "Howling Laud" Hope1270.4
2014 Rochester and Strood by-electionHairy Knorm Davidson1510.4

56th Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
2015 Oldham West and Royton by-electionSir Oink A-Lot1410.5
2016 Tooting by-electionAlan "Howling Laud" Hope540.2
2016 Witney by-electionMad Hatter1290.3
2016 Richmond Park by-electionAlan "Howling Laud" Hope1840.5
2017 Stoke-on-Trent Central by-electionThe Incredible Flying Brick1270.6

57th Parliament
ElectionCandidateVotes% of votes
2018 Lewisham East by-electionHowling Laud Hope930.4
2019 Peterborough by-electionAlan "Howling Laud" Hope1120.3
2019 Brecon and Radnorshire by-electionLady Lily Pink3341.0

Parish councillors

As of 2019, the party has two parish councillors.
CouncillorCouncil
Howling Laud Hope Fleet Town Council, Hampshire
Baron Von ThunderclapBolney Parish, Sussex

2010 William Hill branding

For the 2010 general election, the OMRLP used the description "Monster Raving Loony William Hill Party", which was met with criticism by some members, with John Cartwright, Loony candidate in Croydon, publicly stating, "I am not and will not be a mercenary, or an advert, for a commercial company during the course of the election campaign."

Membership

The statement of accounts for the period 1 January to 31 December 2008 outlines membership at 1,354, made up of 173 paying members and 1,181 "lifetime but non-paying". It currently costs £12.00 per year for membership, which includes a party rosette, a certificate of insanity, a 'Loony Badge,' your personal party I.D card, and a letter from the party's current leader; Alan ‘Howlin Laud’ Hope. It is also noted that a £14.50 membership is available for those overseas.
Sir Patrick Moore, the British TV amateur astronomer, was the finance minister of the party for a short time. He once said that the Monster Raving Loony Party "had an advantage over all the other parties, in that they knew they were loonies".
In 1992, the Glasgow band Hugh Reed and the Velvet Underpants released the song "Vote Monster Raving Looney", despite not having any actual ties to the party.

Policies and electoral strategy

The OMRLP are distinguished by having a deliberately bizarre manifesto, which contains things that seem to be impossible or too absurd to implement – usually to highlight what they see as real-life absurdities. Despite its satirical nature, some of the things that have featured in Loony manifestos have become law, such as "passports for pets", abolition of dog licences and all-day pub openings.
Other suggestions so far unadopted included minting a 99p coin and forbidding greyhound racing in order to "stop the country going to the dogs".
The Loonies generally field as many candidates as possible in United Kingdom general elections, some standing under ridiculous names they have adopted via deed poll. Sutch himself stood against all three main party leaders in the 1992 general election. Parliamentary candidates have to pay their own deposit and cover all of their expenses. No OMRLP candidate has managed to get the required 5% of the popular vote needed to retain their deposit, but this does not stop people standing. Sutch came closest with 4.1% and over a thousand votes at the Rotherham by-election, whilst Stuart Hughes still holds the record for the largest number of votes for a Loony candidate at a Parliamentary election, with 1,442 at the 1992 general election in the Honiton seat in east Devon. The all-time highest vote achieved was by comedian Danny Bamford aka Danny Blue, who secured 3,339 votes in the 1994 European elections under the pseudonym of "John Major". Bamford had also acted as an election agent for Lindi St Clair's rival Corrective Party, and was a former close associate of Stuart Hughes.
In the run-up to the 2011 Alternative Vote referendum, the party adopted an equivocal stance, advising its supporters, on 8 April, to "vote as you see fit". In response to mainstream parties debating Brexit, the OMRLP suggested sending Noel Edmonds to the European Parliament "because he understands Deal or No Deal".