With Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak nowhere to be seen in Chester this election, the longest serving British Party Leader Alan “Howling Laud ” Hope is the Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate. The experienced politician spoke to us from his campaign HQ in the Bull and Stirrup.
“I have been involved with the party since 1982” says Alan. “Myself and Screaming Lord Sutch started the party. Screaming Lord Sutch already had a party, the National Teenage Party. He and I first met in 1959-60, we were rock and roll singers, we met up again when I owned a hotel in Devon, he called to see me and that’s when we decided to set up the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. ”
Asked why he is standing in Chester, Alan replied “Chester is the only place with a by-election! I have never won my deposit back! Chester is going to be the first place ever. To the people of Chester I plead, for the first time ever you will be able to vote for the OMRLP. You know you’ve always wanted to! I am the longest serving party leader in Britain. I have just done 23 years and overtaken Clement Atlee. We are the party that’s on everyone’s side no matter what their political persuasion. Just like you, we’ve seen it all before. We want you to vote for us to make the others think “where are we going wrong?” Remember people of Chester the only wasted vote is the one that’s not used. So, if you don’t usually vote, vote unusually! Voting for the Lib-Lab- Con trick, you’re only voting for the same people that need shaking up. Between us we can make Chester very proud, the wonderful town that changed the face of modern-day politics. You’ve got nothing to lose, we are on your side! ”
Policy wise, Howling Laud directs potential voters to https://www.loonyparty.com/ but says that “For many years now we have insisted that there should be a 99 pence coin. When you come into Wetherspoons everything ends in a 9!”
Having stood in 30 elections, Alan is hopeful of getting his electoral deposit back this time. “I am led to believe by the pundits of Chester that I’m going to get 11% of the vote. ” What motivates him to carry on standing? “Because I can!”
“I became the party leader in 1999 when Lord Sutch died. Whenever a by election comes along, I will stand. We don’t very often come last. People standing for a very good reason, and they get beaten by a Loony!”
His book The Great White Hope, telling his life story, refers to the white suit he wears in public appearances. The book is available on Amazon or directly from Alan in the Bull and Stirrup.
“I was born, obviously, during the war. I was bought up in the rock and roll era. We were the first era of teenagers to miss national call up. I am 2 days older than Paul McCartney, a year older than Mick Jagger, which consequentially means we’re all of the same era. If national call up had carried on, they would never have been heard of- The Animals, Rolling Stones, The Kinks, anybody, they would never have met. I became a rock and roll singer and never quite made it. I was called Kerry Rapid. I am more popular as a politician than I ever was as a rock and roll singer!
“When I lived in Devon, I owned a big hotel there from 1978 until the year 2000. I became a town councillor in Devon. From 1998-2000 I was Town Mayor, chairman of the Council and Lord of the Borough, all on a Loony Party ticket. Do you know why, because I was doing the job right. After this he ran a pub before retiring to Fleet in Hampshire. I’ve been in Fleet now for 17 years and I’ve been a Fleet Town Councillor for 10 years, I’m currently the Vice Chair of Planning, and also the Chair of Highways and Transport.
Having been in politics for a long time, Alan has met them all “Cameron, Johnson, Galloway…or put it another way, they’ve met me!”
Of modern-day politics he says “This country needs a change. We don’t need to win the seat, but we need to shake them up! They are going wrong aren’t they… ” Having spent nearly a week in Chester he says the city is “wonderful” but has so far confined his time to the pubs of Hoole and his Wetherspoons office. One customer in the pub, Sir Roy Heathen commented “this gentleman Alan is a legend, and he will go a long way!”
Concluding, Alan says, “I’ve met a lot of people in Chester so far, and because I’ve got this badge on (Vote Loony) they say, “I’m going to vote for you”. Let’s show the other parties that we do care about politics!”
The Chester blog 