Monster Raving Loony Party

In the UK, an irreverent, anti-establishment political party, founded by Screamin' Lord Sutch (David Sutch, 1940–1999), a pop singer in the group, The Raving Savages. Dressed in a top hat and leopardskin suit, Sutch had been a permanent fixture at by-election counts since 1963. He stood in a record of more than 50 contests, repeatedly losing his deposit, but attracting media attention. The party's motto has been, ‘Vote for insanity, you know it makes sense’. Despite the lack of a policy programme, on occasions the ‘Loonies’ have won seats in local elections. Its activities have prompted consideration of reform of the eligibility rules for parliamentary elections to prevent non-serious fringe parties from standing. At the 1997 general election, Loony Party candidates won 8,000 votes.