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The Official Monster Raving Loony Party (OMRLP) is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and anti-politician David Sutch, also known as Screaming Lord Sutch (1940-1999). “Political Parties” redirects here. ... David Edward Sutch (or Screaming Lord Sutch) (November 10, 1940 – June 16, 1999) was an English musician, politician and maverick. ...

Sutch's early political activity

Beginning in 1964, Sutch (of Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages) stood under a whole raft of party names, mainly as the National Teenage Party candidate. At that time the voting age was set at 21. The name "National Teenage Party" was intended to highlight what Sutch and others saw as hypocrisy on a national scale: while teenagers were denied the right to vote on the basis of their supposed immaturity, the "adults" running the country were involved in such shenanigans as the Profumo Affair. Screaming Lord Sutch (November 10, 1940 - June 16, 1999) was a British politician, musician and maverick. ... David Edward Sutch (or Screaming Lord Sutch) (November 10, 1940 – June 16, 1999) was a musician, British politician and maverick. ... The Profumo Affair was a political scandal from 1963 in the United Kingdom that is named after the then-Secretary of State for War, John Profumo. ...

Sutch himself was 24 in 1964.

Formation of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party

Sutch, who had been shot during a mugging attempt in the 1980s while he lived in the United States, left the USA thoroughly disillusioned with what he saw as an increasingly violent country.

He then returned to the UK and to politics, and it was at this time that the "Raving Loony" tag first appeared.

A similar concept appeared in the "Election Night Special" sketch by Monty Python's Flying Circus in 1970 in which the "Silly Party" and the "Sensible Party" competed against each other, and The Goodies did a similar skit with Graeme Garden as a "Science Loony". Monty Python and The Goodies also popularised the word "loony" in the sense that Sutch was using in the name of the OMRLP, but it is equally possible that Sutch inspired the two comedy shows by managing to stand against Harold Wilson in 1966 and in the City of London election in 1970. There had also been a "Science Fiction and Loony" candidate in the 1976 Cambridge by-election. Election Night Special is a Monty Python sketch parodying the coverage of United Kingdom general elections, specifically the 1970 general election on the BBC by including hectic (and downright silly) actions by the media and a range of ridiculous candidates. ... This article is about the television series. ... The Goodies was a surreal British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy and starring Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie. ... Graeme Garden, as a Beefeater in The Goodies (TV series) episode The Tower of London David Graeme Garden (born February 18, 1943) is a British comedy writer and performer. ... A lunatic (colloquially: loony) is a pejorative term for a person who is mentally ill, dangerous, foolish or unpredictable. ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region Greater London Status sui generis, City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor John Stuttard  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - City  1. ... Geography Status City (1951) Region East of England Admin. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ...

There were two other individuals important in the formation of the future OMRLP. The first was John Dougrez-Lewis, who stood at the Crosby by-election of 1981 (which was won by the Social Democratic Party's co-founder Shirley Williams). Dougrez-Lewis stood at the by-election as Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel (a name taken from the aforementioned Monty Python sketch), having changed his name by deed poll from the somewhat plainer John Desmond Lewis, on the behalf of the Cambridge University Raving Loony Society (CURLS) despite a legal challenge to stop him from standing by a far-right candidate wishing to highlight his suspension from Middlesex Polytechnic for his views. CURLS were an "anti-political party" and charity fund raising group formed largely to be a fun counter response to increasingly polarised student politics on campus and responsible for a number of fun-stunts (their Oxford University equivalents were the “Oxford Raving Lunatics”) Dougrez-Lewis was to become Sutch's agent at the notorious Bermondsey by-election of 1983 where the OMRLP banner was first officially unfurled. Crosby is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a political party of the United Kingdom that existed nationwide between 1981 and 1988. ... The Baroness Williams of Crosby Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, PC (born July 27, 1930), is a British politician. ... Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-Ftang-Ftang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel was the name of a candidate for the British parliament in 1981. ... A Deed of Change of Name is a legal document which enables a single person or a family to officially change his, her or their name and is bound to that contract. ... The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ... Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or relative position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum. ... Middlesex University is a university in north London, England, located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex (from which it takes its name). ... The Bermondsey byelection of February 24, 1983 occurred after the resignation of Robert Mellish, who had represented the constituency and its predecessors since 1946. ...

The second person who helped found the party was Commander Bill Boaks, a retired World War II hero involved in the sinking of the Bismarck, who had campaigned and stood for election for over 30 years on limited funds, always on the issue of road safety (he had been prosecuted several times as a result of his campaigns against several prominent figures who had mysteriously managed to escape prosecution for drunk-driving offences). Boaks foresaw the problems that increased traffic and more roads would cause the country, but by the time his predictions of unnecessary child deaths, pollution and congestion were proved correct, he had died as a result of head injuries received three years earlier from a motorcycle collision. Boaks acted as one of Sutch's counting agents at Bermondsey and also 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 subsequently retired from standing at elections due to his injuries, content that someone else was now taking up the anti-Establishment baton he had held for three decades. Lt Cmdr Bill Boaks DSC Lieutenant Commander William George Boaks DSC (May 25, 1904 – April 4, 1986) was a British Royal Navy officer who became an eccentric political campaigner for road safety. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The German battleship Bismarck is one of the most famous warships of the Second World War. ... The field of road safety is concerned with reducing the numbers or the consequences of vehicle crashes, by developing and implementing management systems ideally based in a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, with interrelated activities in a number of fields. ... Drunk driving (drink driving in the UK) or drinking and driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle after having consumed alcohol (i. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ...

Candidates and party manifesto

The Loonies generally field as many candidates as possible in United Kingdom general elections, some (but by no means all) standing under ridiculous names they have adopted via deed poll. Sutch himself stood against all three main party leaders (John Major, Neil Kinnock and Paddy Ashdown) in the 1992 General Election. Parliamentary candidates have to pay their own deposit (which currently stands at £500) and cover all of their expenses. No OMRLP candidate has managed to get the required 5% of the popular vote needed to retain his 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. This is a list of United Kingdom general elections since 1802. ... For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ... Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, PC (born 28 March 1942) is a British politician. ... Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC, (born 27 February 1941), commonly known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992. ... The Rotherham by-election was held on 5 May 1994, following the death of Labour Party Member of Parliament for Rotherham Jimmy Boyce. ... Stuart Hughes is a UK politician representing voters at all three levels of Local government in the United Kingdom. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992. ... Location within the British Isles Honiton is a town in Devon, England. ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... The Corrective Party was a small British political party active in the 1980s, led by prostitute Lindi St Clair. ...

In 1987, the OMRLP won its first seat on Ashburton Town Council in Devon, as Alan Hope was elected unopposed. He subsequently became Deputy Mayor and later Mayor of Ashburton in 1998 (amid disproportionate opposition from local Conservatives - they never forgave him for 'defecting', although as Hope pointed out they had expelled him for his OMRLP membership in the first place) until he moved to Hampshire after Sutch's death. His hotel in Ashburton "The Golden Lion" (referred to by some in the party as "The Mucky Mog" for reasons apparent to anyone visiting it for the first time) was the party's Headquarters and conference centre for over a decade. Ashburton is a small market town on the fringes of Dartmoor in Devon, lying adjacent to the A38 Devon Expressway. ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Alan Howling Laud Hope was born in Mytchett, Hampshire and has been leader of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party since 1999. ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ...

The OMRLP are distinguished by having a deliberately bizarre manifesto, which contains things that seem to be too impossible or too absurd to implement. Despite its satirical nature, some of the things that have featured in Loony manifestos have become law, such as being able to vote at 18, "passports for pets", and all-day pub openings. Similarly, the outcry following Alan Hope's appearance on the BBC's Nationwide current affairs programme after he was elected – during which he mentioned that butter and milk surpluses were being dumped down abandoned mine shafts under European Community rules to maintain prices (something the media of the day had failed to expose) - resulted in the distribution of such surpluses to the needy or charities instead. Look up manifesto in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... On October 1, 2001, EU and other countries introduced the option for domestic animal owners to apply for Pet passports, PETS for short, but also known as Pets Travel Scheme for pets returning from abroad to the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... The European Community (EC) was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...

Divisions within the Loony Party

Just like any other party, the OMRLP has long suffered from splits over policy regarding just how silly it should be. Many believed that the splits were flimsy attempts at poking fun at the series of splits going on in British politics during the late 1980s—at the Vauxhall by-election there were two Green Party candidates (due to an error on their part) and two National Front candidates from their warring "Third Way" and "Flag" factions, as well as the feuding Liberal Democrats and Social Democratic Party candidates — but the splits were serious, despite Peter "Top Cat" Owen's blithe dismissal to journalists that "the only splits I'm interested in are the ones with bananas in them" (which led to his adoption of an inflatable banana when on the campaign trail. Owen's election leaflets are also noted for stressing his political philosophy as a "pragmatist"). Vauxhall is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) is the principal Green political party in England and Wales. ... In the United Kingdom, the British National Front (most commonly called the National Front or NF) is a far right political party that had its major political activities during the 1970s and 1980s. ... The Official National Front was the leading movement within the British National Front during the 1980s and stood opposed to the Flag Group. ... The Flag Group represented aone of the two wings of the British National Front in the 1980s and stood in opposition to the Political Soldier wing. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a political party of the United Kingdom that existed nationwide between 1981 and 1988. ...

Some members believe that OMRLP activities are purely for fun (and an ego trip or publicity for their entertainment business), while others see the party in the same vein as Private Eye magazine or programmes such as That Was The Week That Was or Spitting Image, using satire to make serious points on issues of the day. Tensions have often resulted because the more serious types in the OMRLP have managed to do what most observers considered impossible—actually achieve a creditable number of votes—tending to put the noses of the "Fun-Da-Mental-ists" out of joint. Private eye may mean: Look up Private eye on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Private Eye a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop (as of 2005) A private investigator, a private detective for hire (see also crime fiction and detective fiction) Private Eye, a song by Alkaline Trio... That Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, was a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. ... Spitting Image was a satirical puppet show that ran on the United Kingdoms ITV television network from 1984 to 1996. ...

There were also objections in some quarters to the continued presence of convicted brothel keeper and minor celebrity Cynthia Payne—a friend of Sutch—who was at the front of many party photo opportunities but continued to stand instead as a member of the rival Rainbow Alliance party (aka Captain Rainbow's Universal Abolish Parliament Party) of George Weiss (a friend of Ian Dury and Peter Cook). The controversy heightened after Weiss was convicted of heroin possession (the News of the World settled a damages claim by the OMRLP, for saying Weiss was a member, out of court). A brothel, also known as a bordello or whorehouse, is an establishment specifically dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sex with the clients. ... Cynthia Payne (born December 24, 1932 in Bognor Regis, West Sussex) was a renowned English madam who made the headlines in the 1970s and 1980s for her brothel at 32 Ambleside Avenue, in Streatham, in the south-west of London, England. ... Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket is a minor United Kingdom political party which advocates the abolition of parliament in favour of devolution to city states and decision-making by referendum. ... Rainbow George Weiss (born 1940) is a fringe UK politician and a foolish wanker, who stood in 13 different constituencies at the 2005 General Election. ... Ian Dury, in a look combining Gene Vincent with a Cockney pearly king. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Heroin (disambiguation). ... The News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. ...

Due to ill health, Lord Sutch became less involved with the party and his last campaign was in Winchester after a by-election was called when the main election was undecided due to a count difference of just two votes between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates. Assisted by his Campaign Manager and Election Agent, Peter 'Uncle Belly' Byford, the party gained 316 votes.

Split leads to Raving Loony Green Giant Party

In 1989, Stuart Hughes, along with Danny Bamford (later Danny Blue), Roly Gillard, Melvyn Hartshorne, inventor Mike Madden and tree surgeon Stuart Greenwood formed the breakaway Raving Loony Green Giant Party (RLGGP), mainly due to personality clashes with OMRLP Chairman Alan Hope and other "Fun-da-Mental-ists"—the final straw being the latter (and Sutch's) behaviour during a sponsored walk to the Scilly Isles for the children's cancer charity, CLIC, where they only turned up at the start and finish for the media call whilst Hughes and others did the whole event. Stuart Hughes is a UK politician representing voters at all three levels of Local government in the United Kingdom. ... Mike Madden (born January 13, 1958 in Denver, Colorado), is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily in relief from 1983-1986. ... The Raving Loony Green Giant Party was a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Isles of Scilly (Cornish: Ynysek Syllan) are an archipelago of islands off the Cornish coast. ... Clic is also an abbreviation for CERNs Compact Linear Collider. ...

Stuart Hughes's electoral successes

The first Raving Loony to win as a result of a straight vote (as opposed to being elected unopposed) was Stuart Hughes, taking the "safe" Conservative seat of Sidmouth Woolbrook on East Devon District Council in May 1991. He then took a seat on Sidmouth Town Council from the Conservatives the following day. His success was met with fury and quite disproportionate hostility from the local Tories. Hughes' reaction was to attempt to make their lives a misery for the next three years: eg. refusing to pay his Community Charge (also known as the Poll Tax), 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" (because of the seats they held) of Independents and the sole Green Party councillor, giving East Devon's ruling Conservatives the first true opposition they had faced for decades (the local Liberal Democrat and Labour Parties being negligible). Stuart Hughes is a UK politician representing voters at all three levels of Local government in the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Location within the British Isles Sidmouth Arms of Sidmouth Town Council Sidmouth is a small town of 14,400 on the east Devon coast in south west England about 15 miles south east of Exeter. ... East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. ... Location within the British Isles Sidmouth Arms of Sidmouth Town Council Sidmouth is a small town of 14,400 on the east Devon coast in south west England about 15 miles south east of Exeter. ... A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ... The Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) is the principal Green political party in England and Wales. ...

Hughes retained his seats with increased majorities in subsequent elections, and the final humiliation for the Conservatives came when he took the Devon County Council seat from the local party's Chief Whip in the council. Hughes remains a member of all three councils to this day although he now does his politicising— ironically—as a Conservative. Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ...

The RLGGP's better organisation and success at the polls proved a wake up call to the OMRLP, and at one stage in England during the early 1990s there were 16 councillors elected despite having the phrase "Raving Loony" accredited to them, and one in Scotland—Mark Boyle on Johnstone Community Council—who stood as a joint Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Raving Loony Green Giant Party candidate because he disagreed with the split (Hughes and Sutch thought having a joint councillor for two warring factions hilarious, Hope less so). To date, two have risen to become mayors — Alan Hope in Ashburton in Devon and Chris "Screwy" Driver on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. This article is about the country. ... Mark Boyle (May 11, 1934 - May 4, 2005) was an artist born in Glasgow and known for his work in the cultural UK Underground of the 1960s around the Traverse Theatre, and latterly in the Boyle Family projects. ... Town Councillor Christopher Driver of the Rock n Roll Loony Party held the position of Mayor of Queenborough during the municipal year 2002/03. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ...

Loonies embarrass Social Democrats: the First Bootle By-Election

At the Bootle by-election in May 1990, the Loony candidate (Sutch) received more votes than the candidate for the continuing Social Democrats. The OMRLP newsletter for June 1990 released by Alan Hope said "WHAT IS GOING ON?" and Sutch himself appeared utterly shocked when interviewed by the BBC after the result was announced. Bootle is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... This entry is about the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the political party in the United Kingdom led by David Owen that operated after the merger of the original SDP with the Liberal Party in 1988 until its dissolution in 1990. ...

The story was a major headline in many UK newspapers; ironically the by-election itself had attracted little coverage: the little media attention there was focused on a bizarre row between Labour and the Raving Loonies. Relations between Labour members and Raving Loonies had never been good, but they reached a new low when the Labour agent tried to have the Loony candidate, Screaming Lord Sutch, arrested for breaking the old electoral law forbidding using a public house as an election campaign headquarters, a law which had been repealed in 1987. The tabloid newspapers referred to "Kinnock’s Killjoys" (Neil Kinnock being the Labour leader at this time) for the campaign's duration, and the OMRLP never looked back. David Edward Sutch (or Screaming Lord Sutch) (November 10, 1940 – June 16, 1999) was an English musician, politician and maverick. ... Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, PC (born 28 March 1942) is a British politician. ...

The result was the last straw for the continuing Social Democrats — centred around former Labour Foreign Secretary and Social Democratic leader Dr. David Owen—who had refused to accept the merger of the SDP with the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats. Rubbing salt in their wounds, Sutch offered in jest to form a coalition with them, but they instead disbanded, though in a repeat of the events of 1988 once again a week later some members voted to carry on. Almost a year after Bootle, the supposedly dead SDP finished fourth at Neath, ironically beating the OMRLP to 5th place in the process, and survive to this day (for the history of the post-Owen SDP, see the continuing Social Democratic Party). David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen, CH, PC (born July 2, 1938) is a British politician, Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and one of the founders of the British Social Democratic Party (SDP). ... This article is about the historic Liberal Party. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... Image:Neatharms. ... The Social Democratic Party is a small political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Although there have been far more prestigious Loony results before and after, Bootle is still regarded by Raving Loonies as their finest hour, the watershed moment when they had to be treated as a serious political party, albeit one largely lampooning the political world.

Serious attempts to gather votes: the Tempest/Beckett era

Sutch also defeated a joint Plaid Cymru/Green Party candidate at the bitter Monmouth by-election and almost beat the ruling Conservative Party's candidate at the Islwyn by-election later on—but by this time the OMRLP were organised enough to make coming in fourth the norm in by-elections in England and Wales. Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ... The Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) is the principal Green political party in England and Wales. ... Creation 1536 MP David Davies Party Conservative Type House of Commons County Gwent EP constituency Wales Monmouth is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Islwyn is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

The credit for this must lie with John Tempest, a former Liberal/Liberal Democrat press officer and election agent (and co-founder of the award winning Bradford Soup Run charity for the homeless). Together with friend and OMRLP activist Willi Beckett (one of the founders of the anarchist One-In-Twelve Club in Bradford), they transformed the way the party fought elections. From the outset they were determined to make the OMRLP reap the rewards of being the unofficial "protest vote party" of the UK: now posters, car stickers, and a never-ending series of headline-grabbing stunts not only made it easier for the party to gain publicity, but also ensured they were treated fairly by the media (three by-election TV shows were cancelled when the OMRLP used the law to stop them having candidate debates that barred the Loony candidate). The party even managed to attract some corporate sponsorship from the makers of "Monster Munch" crisps & "Spillers" dogfood, albeit to lampoon the manner in which Labour under Blair in particular had become big business puppets. For other uses, see Bradford (disambiguation). ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Tempest and Beckett suffered the same problems from the "Fun-da-Mental-ist" faction, but by then new people had entered the party such as future Chairman Peter 'T.C.' Owen, to whom beating the other parties was what it was all about and who saw nothing funny about coming last with a handful of votes. Also Tempest was known – ironically – as one not to suffer fools gladly (there were a number of clashes between him and Hope). It was no coincidence that during the era of Tempest and Beckett, other well known "alternative" parties such as the Greens, National Front, British National Party, and the UK Independence Party often withdrew their candidates from seats after an OMRLP member had announced their candidature because of the damage to party morale from finishing with fewer votes than a "Raving Loony". In the United Kingdom, the British National Front (most commonly called the National Front or NF) is a far right political party that had its major political activities during the 1970s and 1980s. ... The British National Party (BNP) is a white nationalist political party in the United Kingdom. ... The United Kingdom Independence Party (commonly known as UKIP, pronounced //) is a British political party. ...

Beckett was forced to drop out of Loony activities due to ill health, prompting Tempest to end his association with the OMRLP, thanks to work & Soup Run commitments—along with being fed up with the lack of gratitude and backbiting from the "Fun-da-Mental-ist" faction that were happy enough to ask for his help to get them out of a number of scrapes—including a nasty election feud in Holmfirth between Melodie Staniforth and Mike Madden of the rival RLGGP faction during the mid 1990s (Madden eventually quit standing in elections).

Sutch's death, and its aftermath

Screaming Lord Sutch, a manic depressive, after the death of his mother Annie in 1998, committed suicide on June 16, 1999. For other uses, see Bipolar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

Sutch's death drew tributes from right across the political spectrum. There were also however some not-so-complimentary comments, the worst coming from Roseanna Cunningham, at the time MP for Perth and a columnist for the Scottish Sunday Mail. Cunningham claimed newspapers were more interested in the death of someone she felt had contributed nothing to politics nor society whilst 'ignoring' the death that same week of Cardinal Basil Hume (in fact most had given long obituaries) who she felt had done more (she did not name any specific achievements). Cunningham had previously been upstaged by the OMRLP on the night of her victory at the ill-tempered Perth & Kinross by-election due to the death of Sir Nicholas Fairbairn. A foul-up between SNP spin doctors inside and outside Perth Town Hall and the BBC led to expectant nationalist supporters gathered outside cheering Sutch, Boyle and Beckett for five minutes instead when they stumbled out of Perth Town Hall first; leaving Cunningham trapped inside whilst the OMRLP (and one defecting Scottish Liberal Democrat) conducted the crowd in choral renditions of both "Spot the Loony" and "Let's All Laugh At Labour". (Labour had spent a fortune in vain on trying to win the seat for Peter Mandelson's then aide Douglas Alexander.) Roseanna Cunningham Roseanna Cunningham is an Australian-born (July 27, 1951) British politician, and member for the Scottish National Party for Perth in the Scottish Parliament. ... Perth (Scottish Gaelic: ) is a royal burgh in central Scotland. ... The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. ... George Basil Cardinal Hume OSB, OM, MA, STL (March 2, 1923—June 17, 1999) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. ... A by-election was called on the 25 May 1995 for the United Kingdom constituency of Perth and Kinross, in Scotland, following the death of Conservative and Unionist MP Sir Nicholas Fairbairn. ... Sir Nicholas Fairbairn (died 1995) was a Conservative Party MP for Perth, Scotland, elected in 1974, 1979, 1983, 1987, and 1992. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Douglas Garven Alexander (born October 26, 1967) is a British politician who is Secretary of State for International Development. ...

This in many ways sums up the OMRLP's role in politics. Politicians and the media loved them, so long as they themselves did not fall foul of their antics.

Sutch's funeral, organised by Tempest, was attended by members of the OMRLP and RLGGP, including Hughes, who with Freddie Zapp brought along a huge floral tribute shaped as an OMRLP rosette; they provided a more dignified entourage than Sutch's own relatives and romantic partners, who fought with one another at the graveside. The running of the OMRLP fell to Alan "Howling Laud" Hope and his late cat, Cat Mandu (killed 2002), who were the joint winners of the 1999 membership ballot for the replacement for Sutch. Alan Howling Laud Hope was born in Mytchett, Hampshire and has been leader of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party since 1999. ... Cat Mandu was a British politician who served as joint leader of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party with Howling Laud Hope from the death of Screaming Lord Sutch in 1999 until his own death as a result of a traffic accident in July 2002. ...

The OMRLP fielded 15 candidates in the 2001 General Election, where they actually ran up their best General Election results to date. Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ...

Second split: the Rock 'n' Roll Loony Party

This, however, has been followed by a series of disastrous by-election results and a further split. Town Councillor Chris Driver formed the Rock 'n' Roll Loony Party with Mike Young & others dissatisfied with Alan Hope's leadership, in a sad replay of the events surrounding the OMRLP/RLGGP split a decade earlier (interestingly Roly Gillard, who had rejoined the OMRLP upon the RLGGP's demise, also took part in this split). Town Councillor Christopher Driver of the Rock n Roll Loony Party held the position of Mayor of Queenborough during the municipal year 2002/03. ... The Rock n Roll Loony Party is a minor political party in the United Kingdom. ...

This splinter however did not last anywhere near as long as the RLGGP, although in a replay of what happened to Stuart Hughes and the RLGGP, success at the ballot box ensured the failure of the new party. Chris Driver's election as Mayor of Queensborough Town Council for the municipal year 2002/2003 curtailed on its leader's time enough to ensure party activities effectively ground to a halt. By 2004, the RRLP was effectively dead, with most of its members having rejoined the OMRLP. (Gillard however dropped out of politics altogether in 2002 after his wife's suicide).

Non-Loonies who nevertheless claimed to be

The party suffered from a number of individuals that claimed to be members—usually for their nefarious reasons—down the years (leading in several instances to recourse to the Law), eg. one Peter “The Mad Monk” Dixon in Cheshire stood as an "Official Monster Raving Loony Christian Party" candidate to promote his own religious views—he was promptly disowned by John Tempest in the press). Two cases in particular deserve mention.

Sir Patrick Moore, the famous British TV astronomer, claimed several times to be the party's Minister for Flying Saucers. In fact, Moore was not welcome at all within the party. Sir Patrick Moore presenting The Sky at Night, October 2005 Sir Alfred Patrick Caldwell-Moore, CBE, HonFRS, FRAS (born 4 March 1923), known as Patrick Moore, is an English amateur astronomer who has attained legendary status in British astronomy as a writer and television presenter of the subject and who...

He had formerly run his own United Country Party in 1979, which merged in 1981 into Dennis Delderfield's New Britain Party (with characteristic poor timing, they did so a day before the launch of the Social Democratic Party). Both the UCP and the NBP were far-right parties, one of many failed attempts between 1976 to 1982 to create "respectable" versions of the British National Front. Moore's claims had more to do with erasing his past political associations from public consciousness - fearing his TV career could be terminated if he was seen as racially prejudiced at a time when the BBC (for whom he did "The Sky at Night") were becoming increasingly sensitive to race issues. He later changed his story, claiming the party had asked him, but he refused. The United Country Party were a minor political party operating in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. ... In existence since 1977, the New Britain Party (NBP) has been led since its inception by Dennis Delderfield, a newspaper owner. ... In the United Kingdom, the British National Front (most commonly called the National Front or NF) is a far right political party that had its major political activities during the 1970s and 1980s. ... The Sky at Night is a long running television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. It is the longest running television programme with the same presenter anywhere. ...

Second comes Hugh Reed & The Velvet Underpants, a band barely known outside of the Scottish University circuit. They released the song "Vote Monster Raving Looney" in 1992. They were however nothing to do with the Official Monster Raving Loony Party (hence the different spelling of "Loony") & similarly disowned by a press statement from John Tempest. The band subsequently became involved in fund-raising activities for the "ultra-nationalist" (i.e., ethnic/cultural nationalist) Siol nan Gaidheal group (who were expelled from the Scottish National Party in 1982). SnG members destroy a Union Jack at a flag burning. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ...

Councillor defects to BNP

One of the few bright moments for the party after the death of Sutch came in 2000 when Angela Ashcroft won a seat on the multi-member Cuckoo Oak ward on Madeley Parish Council in Shropshire. This soon turned to embarrassment (and horror) when she defected not long after to become the local organiser for the far-right British National Party. Madeley is a district of Telford, in Shropshire. ... Shropshire (pronounced /, -/), alternatively known as Salop[6] or abbreviated Shrops[7], is a county in the West Midlands of England. ... The British National Party (BNP) is a white nationalist political party in the United Kingdom. ...

2005 general election

A biography of Sutch,"The Man Who Was Screaming Lord Sutch" (by Graham Sharpe, the Media Relations Manager for bookmakers William Hill) was released in April 2005 (ISBN 1-85410-983-9), but its description of what remains of the party as "wannabes, never-would-bes and some bloody-well-shouldn't bes" was hardly what the party needed in the middle of a General Election campaign, though it is debatable just how much an effect this had on the party’s fortunes at the General Election. (They did gain an impressive article in the financial section of The Times days before the vote itself.) The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ...

The manifesto, entitled "The Manicfesto", for the 2005 General Election the OMRLP's major manifesto commitment was once more 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. This has been a Loony staple policy since the original manifesto was written by Sutch's agent Pauline Read in 1983. 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. It has been suggested that Marginal constituencies in the United Kingdom be merged into this article or section. ...

The rest of the party's manifesto included:

• Refusing to sign up to the euro, but inviting the rest of Europe to join the pound.
• Drivers can go straight over a roundabout when there's no traffic coming "to make driving through Milton Keynes more fun".
• Traffic cops "too stupid" for normal police work to be retrained as vicars.
• Withdrawal of MPs' £118,000 expenses allowance, and the money "in future be distributed to the poor and needy so that they can waste it instead."
• Any MP whose constituency sells off a school playing field for development will be required to relinquish their own back garden as a replacement sports facility for the school.
• All motorways to become massive cycle tracks instead
• All speed cameras will be abolished and replaced by a new device fitted to cars which will automatically slow down to the speed limit when driven though an infra-red beam.
• The introduction of a 99p coin to "save on change".

Overall the results were a disappointment for the OMRLP after their success in the previous general election showed there was life after Sutch, the only improvement being Alan Hope’s increase of the vote to over 500, but all other candidates saw marked reductions—including Owen hemorrhaging over 300 votes straight over to the BNP, contesting the Wokingham seat for the first time. "Top Cat" Owen is the only member of the current OMRLP line up ever to poll over 1000 votes (he polled 2,859 votes in the 1994 European elections), and his dip in fortunes despite a previously strong local following appears to have killed the last realistic chance the party ever had of seeing a saved deposit. For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... “EU” redirects here. ... “GBP” redirects here. ... A roundabout is a type of road junction at which traffic enters a one-way stream around a central island. ... , Milton Keynes is a large town in northern Buckinghamshire, in South East England, about 45 miles (75 km) north-west of London, and roughly halfway between London and Birmingham. ...

York Branch terminal split

The party also suffered from an ill-needed row over its York branch, which led to there being no "official" City of York candidate and gave more credence to those that denounced the post-Sutch OMRLP as little more than a PR machine for pub-circuit entertainers rather than a political party. Graham Cambridge, otherwise known as Eddie Vee, the Elvis-impersonating previous candidate, wished to stand again, but the branch honorary secretary John E Morris and the branch treasurer, Gareth Sheehan (also known as "Spydaz") elected to have the famous alternative artist Andy "Milladdio" Hinkles as the candidate and asked Vee to stand elsewhere.

Morris and Spydaz were well known enough in York, Morris as a former National Front and then Green Party activist, whilst Spydaz was known as York's "super-squatter", an activist of the York Peace Collective that led a series of highly publicised squats during 2003 and 2004 to highlight neglected "listed" buildings (their antics included the holding of Art exhibitions within such abandoned properties). In the United Kingdom, the British National Front (most commonly called the National Front or NF) is a far right political party that had its major political activities during the 1970s and 1980s. ...

The response however from OMRLP headquarters was for Deputy Leader Boney Maroney to promptly expel Morris and Spydaz from the party. In York's "Evening Press" newspaper of 12/4/2005, Maroney claimed it was "for selling loony merchandise against Electoral Commission rules": to be precise the OMRLP's Financial Scheme as registered with the Electoral Commission, which meant any Branch of the OMRLP taking money on the party's behalf would be breaching the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 Part 2. As such, the York Branch's alleged selling of merchandise provided a pretext to expel the entire branch—bar Vee—and declare Vee to be the "approved" York candidate.

Vee then failed to raise the £500 deposit to stand, but the expelled York Branch members had the deposit for Hinkles—now standing as a York Integrity Party (although the ballot paper simply reads "Independent Hinkles")—submitted within days of the Notice of Election being posted.

Morris, Hinkles and Spydaz offered an olive branch to party HQ, but with no response, and with the Socialist Alliance and the Green Party contesting the seat, any hopes the Hinkles candidature may have had of attracting the "alternative" vote from his association with Spydaz were dashed—he barely took 100 votes.

2005 school mock elections shock

There were however two crumbs of comfort. For the third election in a row, the OMRLP found its candidates being debarred from the Hansard Society/BBC TV "Newsround" School Mock Elections running in tandem with the General Election (the same fate befell the BNP), and the party advised pupils to get voters to spoil their ballot papers in protest or simply write "OMRLP" on the ballot papers in schools that refused to back down. In the event, 102 Raving Loony school candidates stood, winning in 21 of these, and taking enough votes in two parliamentary constituencies to be declared to have 'won' the seat—the two being Bristol East (the former seat of Tony Benn) and the hard-line Tory constituency of Chesham & Amersham, neither of which have any history of active Raving Loonyism before. The Hansard Society was formed in 1944 to promote parliamentary democracy. ... Newsround (originally called John Cravens Newsround, before the departure of Craven) is a BBC childrens news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was the worlds first television news magazine aimed specifically at children. ... Anthony Tony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born 3 April 1925), formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British socialist politician. ...

Party Press Officer Forced To Resign Upon Assault Charge

On 31st August 2006, an article appeared in "This Is London/News Shopper", attributed to Alison White, stating that Brian Borthwick (aka Lord Toby Jug), the party's Press Officer, was asked to resign by Deputy Leader Melodie Staniforth, after Borthwick had appeared in court in Dartford pleading guilty to a charge of common assault against his partner Julie Diana Smith on August 14. Borthwick blamed his actions on the medication he was taking for his mental illness. (see reference/link below)

The current status of the OMRLP

The OMRLP's official headquarters was originally the (now gone) "Golden Lion Hotel" in Ashburton, 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, the 2007 conference is due to be held in Jersey. Ashburton is Ashburton, a town in Canterbury, New Zealand Ashburton, a town in Devon, England Ashburton, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Yateley is a small suburban town and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ...

Although Alan Hope took over as Party Leader after Sutch's death, the real day-to-day running of the party was done by Melodie "Boney Maroney" Staniforth, whose 2004 council election result of over 300 votes was greeted with a remarkable amount of ill-will from local members of the major political parties. This result proved to be the last high water mark for the OMRLP, as results have markedly declined ever since. Even on the council election circuit, its vote, funds—and public interest—appear to be in terminal decline, facing a tighter squeeze for the "protest vote" from other minor UK parties with more members, money, and organisation.

Ironically, the party was to fall foul over its funding on 26 September 2005 when the Electoral Commission forced them to return a donation of £350 sent by a supporter from the independent British Dependency of the Isle of Man. is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Currently the party only has one councillor, R.U. Seerius (formerly Jon Brewer) on the 11 member Sawley Parish Council in South Derbyshire, first elected (uncontested) in 2005. R.U. Seerius accomplished banjo player who supplements his income to pay for his Loony Party activities by bus driving. ...

The party contested both the Bromley and Chislehurst and the Blaenau Gwent Parliamentary by-elections on 29th June 2006; and with it a degree of their previous by-election lustre—a matter perhaps the result of the return of Willi Beckett to frontline OMRLP activities; tragically in October 2006 he was diagnosed as terminally ill with cancer, and he died on Friday 2nd March 2007, less than a day after setting up his own MySpace website. A by-election has been called for the UK parliament constituency of Bromley and Chislehurst, in London, following the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Eric Forth on 17 May 2006. ... Two by-elections are to be held for the constituency of Blaenau Gwent in Wales following the death of Member of Parliament and Assembly Member Peter Law on April 25, 2006. ...

Deputy Leader Staniforth Defects

In March 2007, Melodie "Boney Maroney" Staniforth, the Deputy Leader resigned from the party, though she stood in the April 2007 Kirklees council elections as an OMRLP candidate. The party's webmaster, Stuart "Parish Poisoner" Estell did likewise. According to her 29 March 2007 interview with the "Huddersfield Examiner" newspaper, she was doing the party's books, merchandising & electoral law work with little help, and had grown fed up with the lack of leadership accountability. Asking Hope to become Party President whilst she would become official Party Leader, Hope refused, saying he was leader until death.

Ironically, she had been the most vociferous critic of the Raving Loony Green Giant and Rock'n'Roll Loony factions that had left the OMRLP for largely the same reasons, and of John Tempest's more organised approach to elections and funding. She has since declared herself on 17 July 2007 as a candidate for Damned guitarist Captain Sensible's the Blah! Party, a "protest vote" party largely bankrolled by sponsorship from Seabrook Crisps. Captain Sensible, performing live with The Damned in 2006. ... The Blah! Party is a political party in the United Kingdom aimed at attracting protest voters. ...

Hope retaliated with a press release stating - with little appreciation of the irony - that "although the sudden resignation of a main party member was a shock the Loony party is not just one person and will continue regardless." and that "the party will never again be reliant on one person".

The post-Staniforth 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 (0.46%) and John Cartwright taking 188 (0.51%), beating the English Democrats but coming behind even the so-called Christian Party of the Reverend George Hargreaves and David Braid. Operation Christian Vote (OCV) is a minor British Political Party founded in May 2004. ...

“Top Cat” Owen Takes Over As Deputy Leader

In recognition that reforms were needed, Peter 'T.C.' Owen was moved from the honorary position of Party Chairman to that of Deputy Leader (& thus effective day-to-day leader) of the OMRLP, whilst Anthony "The Jersey Flyer" Blyth (owner of the Ommaroo and a member of the Jersey Heritage Trust) took over Owen’s role. A self styled pragmatist, Owen comes from the side of the OMRLP that always took the fighting of elections seriously and is one of four Raving Loonies to have scored over 1000 votes in an election. Pragmatism is a school of philosophy which originated in the United States in the late 1800s. ...

The 2007 party conference is due to be held at the famous Ommaroo Hotel, St Helier †, Jersey: the first time any registered British Political Party has held its annual conference in a Crown Dependency rather than the United Kingdom).

Membership

According to its 2004 accounts the party had 247 paid-up members.^[1]

However, when Melodie Staniforth resigned in 2007 it was revealed there existed a database of over 2,000 members, most of whom were dormant or lapsed members, including people that had bought “Life” memberships during the Sutch era that refused to pay the subsequent annual subscription demanded by Staniforth for the post-Sutch OMRLP.

Quotations

• "Vote for insanity. You know it makes sense." - Screaming Lord Sutch (a parody on Margaret Thatcher's oft-used "You know it makes sense" by-line circa 1979-1983
• "Why is there only one Monopolies Commission?" - Screaming Lord Sutch (on many occasions)

The Competition Commission is an independent body responsible for investigating mergers, market shares and conditions and the regulation of UK companies. ...

References

"The Man Who Was Screaming Lord Sutch" - Graham Sharpe, April 2005 (ISBN 1-85410-983-9)

"Life As Sutch" - Lord David Sutch (ghost written by Peter Chippendale), Angus & Robertson 1991 (Expanded Edition 1992)(ISBN 0-207-17240-4).

Sutch's "autobiography" needs to be treated with care, as amid the facts are fictions from Chippendale because he thought they made the book more entertaining. During this period, a number of UK publishers released many such spurious "faction" autobiographies from minor celebrities only too happy to take the royalties (or having little choice but to do so owing to financial problems).

Another problem for researchers on the OMRLP is the tendency of newspapers to simply make up policies the party purported to have or even statements from members when they did not (a problem most minor UK parties face without adequate access to legal redress).

Notes

† During the Occupation of Jersey during World War 2, the Ommaroo's manager successfully intervened to prevent a porter called Moss Simon from being seized by the Nazis as a Jew

Further reading

• "OMRLP accounts with Electoral Commission". 
• Louis Cooke. "Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh Way", Flak magazine. 
• Jon Ronson. "Beyond a joke", The Guardian, 2000-01-15. 
• "FAREWELL TO THE LOONY LORD", The Argus, Newsquest Media Group, 1999-10-15. 
• "LOONIES AT EACH OTHERS VOTES", Evening Press, Newsquest Media Group, 1999-10-15. 
• "BYE BY LOONIES", Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Trinity Mirror Group, 1999-10-15. 
• "Loony Party Boss Sorry For Hitting Partner", News Shopper, Newsquest Media Group, 2006-10-31. 

The Flak Magazine is an American online magazine, founded in 1998. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Argus can mean: ARGUS is the student-run literary magazine of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Evening Press was the Newspaper originally set up by Eamon De Valeras Irish Press group, and edited by Douglas Gageby. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Huddersfield Daily Examiner is a daily newspaper published at PO Box A26, Queen Street South, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD1 2TD, England telephone +44 (0) 1484 430000, web site http://ichuddersfield. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• List of frivolous political parties
• Pet passport

This is a list of political parties that have been created for frivolous purposes. ... On October 1, 2001, EU and other countries introduced the option for domestic animal owners to apply for Pet passports, PETS for short, but also known as Pets Travel Scheme for pets returning from abroad to the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• Official web site of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.
• The Hinkles/Vee Row (continued)
• Baron Von Thunderclap's 2005 election result
• Cambridge University Raving Loony Society
• R.U.Seerius
• John Cartwright - Croydon Branch OMRLP