I'm standing for the Monster Raving Loony Party in Blackpool South By-election and I'm confident I'll win

The man aiming to become The Official Monster Raving Loony Party’s first Member of Parliament has revealed he is confident of winning the Blackpool South by-election.

The party’s leader Alan Hope aka Howling ‘Laud’ Hope is aiming to be elected at his 34th attempt when the resort goes to the polls on May 2 to vote in a replacement for former Conservative MP Scott Benton.

The 81-year-old has been at helm of the party since the death of previous leader Screaming Lord Sutch.

He confirmed his candidacy after the Monster Raving Loony Party’s ‘Nick the Flying Brick’ who collected the 10 signatures required and organised his nomination.

And his planning to hit the campaign trail in earnest from Sunday when he will arrive in Blackpool for 12 days of meeting voters and knocking on doors.

He said: “I am booked into a couple of hustings with more to come and we are confident of victory.

"Any party members and friends in and around Blackpool, or from anywhere, are welcome to come along and join in.”

Mr Hope will also be contesting ‘The Hart District Council’ in his home town of Fleet, in Hampshire, on the same day.

He explained: “They were a bit put out when I told them that I won’t be at that count as I will be in Blackpool, ‘it won’t be the same without you’ was the cry.”

Last year he stood at the West Lancashire by-election and received 210 votes (0.9%), finishing sixth out of six candidates

But the former publican is no stranger to public office having been the first-ever OMRLP candidate to be elected when he claimed a seat, unopposed, on Ashburton Town Council, in Devon, in 1987. He subsequently became the Mayor of Ashburton in 1998.

In 2010 Mr Hope was elected unopposed to Fleet Town Council, in Hampshire.

List of candidates

- Stephen Black (Independent); 

- Mark Butcher (Reform UK);

- Andrew Cregan (Lib Dems);

- Howling Laud Hope (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party);

- David Jones (Conservative);

- Kim Knight (Alliance for Democracy and Freedom); 

- Damon Sharp (New Open Non-Political Organised Leadership);

- Ben Thomas (Green Party).

- Chris Webb (Labour)