Alan Howlin Laud Hope - Loony Party Candidate, Makerfield
Alan "Howlin" Laud Hope — Official Monster Raving Loony Party Candidate, Makerfield By-Election 2026
Last updated: 25 May 2026 By-election date: Thursday 18 June 2026
Bio
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full name | Alan "Howlin" Laud Hope |
| Party | Official Monster Raving Loony Party |
| Role | Party leader / long-standing candidate |
| Constituency | Makerfield |
Background
Alan "Howlin" Laud Hope is the leader of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, taking over from the late Screaming Lord Sutch. A perennial candidate who has stood in numerous elections across the UK, known for his eccentric platform and satirical policies.
What It Means
The Loony Party is a traditional fixture at by-elections, providing satirical commentary on the political process. Their vote share is typically negligible but they add to the colourful nature of the campaign.
Twitter/X Discussion
Source: Nitter search, May 2026
Howlin' Laud Hope generates more Twitter buzz than several serious candidates. Key themes:
- Loony beating the Tories: The most shared narrative is "Do you think that the Tory party in the by election in Makerfield will get more votes than the Monster Raving Loony Party?" — reflecting the Tory collapse and the joke that the Loony Party might out-poll them
- Polling predictions include him seriously: Multiple amateur poll projection tweets include the Loony Party at 1% — treated with the same seriousness as the Lib Dems and Greens
- "Everyone should vote Loony": "Everyone should vote for The Monster Raving Loony Party in Makerfield and really stick 2 fingers up to the political class" — some users propose a protest vote
- Listed alongside mainstream candidates: "Hopefully the result at Makerfield it will be 1 Robert Kenyon-Reform, 2 Rebecca Shepherd-Restore, with every other candidate (Jake Austin-Liberal Democrats, Michael Winstanley-Conservative Party, Alan 'Howlin' Laud Hope-Official Monster Raving Loony Party) ahead of Labour" — treated as a genuine list
Reddit Discussion
The Loony Party candidacy is mentioned on Reddit primarily as a punchline about the state of British politics — the fact that the Monster Raving Loony Party being taken seriously as a potential vote-getter says everything about the 2026 political landscape.