Howling Laud Hope
Veteran political satirist, Loony Party co-founder and party leader Alan “Howling Laud” Hope returns to Clacton after previously contesting the constituency’s 2014 by-election. Clacton 2026 is his 38th parliamentary campaign.
Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 3.0
At a glance
A British election veteran
Clacton is Howling Laud Hope’s 38th parliamentary campaign, taking him past the 37 parliamentary contests fought by Screaming Lord Sutch.
This is not just a costume
- Co-founded the Loony Party in 1982.
- Has led the party since 1999.
- Former publican and musician.
- Former Mayor of Ashburton.
- Currently an elected Fleet town councillor.
- Returned unopposed to Fleet Town Council in 2026.
He’s been here before
He received 127 votes when Douglas Carswell won the 2014 by-election for UKIP.
Twelve years later, Hope is back on the Clacton ballot for another unusual parliamentary contest.
The Clacton “Manicfesto”
Yes, these policies are deliberately ridiculous.
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party uses absurd policies, wordplay and satire to make political points. For this by-election it has published a Clacton-specific campaign programme rather than relying only on a generic national manifesto.
Rename Clacton
Rename Clacton-on-Sea “Eric”, referencing the historic renaming of Windscale.
Fewer by-elections
Reduce crime by holding fewer by-elections, supposedly freeing police time and public money.
Clacton Pier in the Lords
Give Clacton Pier a seat in the House of Lords.
Full-time local MPs
MPs representing deprived areas should stay focused on their constituency rather than maintaining multiple outside jobs and interests.
Intergalactic interference
Ban intergalactic interference in British elections.
Reclaim Dogger Bank
Reclaim Dogger Bank from the sea, create “Doggerland” and make Clacton its capital.
Free spirit levels
Help government “levelling up” by providing everybody with a spirit level.
Government think buckets
Replace expensive government think tanks with a bucket to reduce spending.
Border Force
Replace Border Force staff with GP receptionists, on the theory that nobody would manage to get in.
Abolish VAT
Get rid of VAT because, according to the party, “it adds no value”.
Government CutZ
Convert Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street into a hair salon to raise Treasury revenue.
NHS waiting lists
Reduce hospital waiting lists by printing them in a smaller font.
Human Lefts
Introduce a “Court of Human Lefts” to make the legal system fairer.
Behind the jokes
The satire often contains a serious political point
The Loony Party is deliberately comic, but Hope describes its purpose as poking fun at the political system and at politicians who make promises they do not keep.
The Clacton Manicfesto includes an obviously comic attack on MPs holding numerous outside interests, but underneath the joke is a clear argument that an MP should concentrate on representing their constituency.
Hope has said that the party keeps contesting elections because it is allowed to do so, because it is fun and because humour gives voters another way to challenge established politics.
Political position
Satirical and protest politics
A conventional left-to-right rating would be misleading. The Official Monster Raving Loony Party deliberately mixes absurd proposals, political jokes and occasional serious reform ideas. We therefore classify Hope as a satirical / protest candidate rather than assigning him a normal ideological position.
Selected parliamentary election history
| Year | Constituency | Election | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Teignbridge | General election | 241 |
| 1992 | Teignbridge | General election | 437 |
| 2005 | Aldershot | General election | 553 |
| 2014 | Clacton | By-election | 127 |
| 2019 | North East Hampshire | General election | 576 |
| 2023 | Tamworth | By-election | 155 |
| 2024 | Blackpool South | By-election | 121 |
| 2024 | North East Hampshire | General election | 240 |
| 2025 | Runcorn and Helsby | By-election | 128 |
| 2026 | Makerfield | By-election | 45 |
| 2026 | Clacton | By-election | Polling 13 August |
Local government
Fleet Town Councillor
Despite the comedy-party image, Alan Hope currently holds elected local office in Hampshire.
He represents Fleet Central on Fleet Town Council and sits on its Planning Committee.
2026 election
Hope was returned to Fleet Town Council unopposed in May 2026.
At the separate Hart District Council election for Fleet Central on the same day he received 56 votes.
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Founded in 1982
The party was founded on 16 June 1982 by Screaming Lord Sutch and Howling Laud Hope.
Hope became party leader following Sutch’s death in 1999 and remains leader today.
Despite its intentionally ridiculous name, it is a formally registered political party with the Electoral Commission.
Three Loonies in Clacton
The party has taken the unusual step of fielding three candidates in the same Clacton election.
Howling Laud Hope
Party leader
Nick The Incredible Flying Brick
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Baron Von Thunderclap
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Candidate and party links
Sources
Official confirmation of Howling Laud Hope as a candidate and of all three Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidates standing in Clacton.
The party’s Clacton-specific campaign policies.
Party history, founding information and Hope’s role as co-founder and leader.
Official party record of Hope’s parliamentary election history, including his 127 votes in Clacton in 2014.
Official result confirming Hope received 45 votes in the June 2026 Makerfield by-election.
Confirms Alan Hope currently represents Fleet Central and serves on the Planning Committee.
Confirms Hope was elected unopposed to Fleet Town Council in 2026 and received 56 votes in the separate Fleet Central district election.
Interview covering Hope’s background, parliamentary campaigning, political satire and views on the Clacton election.
Candidate photograph by Acabashi, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.