# 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

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## Bio

| Detail | Info |
|--------|------|
| **Full name** | Alan "Howlin" Laud Hope |
| **Party** | Official Monster Raving Loony Party |
| **Role** | Party leader / long-standing candidate |
| **Constituency** | Makerfield |

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## 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.

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## 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.

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## 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.

- [PollCheck — Makerfield By-Election](https://www.pollcheck.co.uk/by-elections/makerfield)