In 1963, the voting age in England was 21, and this didn’t sit well with what some saw as hypocritical. “Immature” Teenagers were prohibited from voting, but the adults running the country who were involved in scandal after scandal were allegedly wiser – and this was ok?

In response, David Sutch stood for Parliament, and this is where the story stops being one thing, and becomes something very different.

Before Sutch stood for election, he was the founder of the, ‘Sod em All Party’ in 1961.  He renamed it the ‘National Teenage Party’ in 1963, the ‘Go To Blazes Party’ in 1970, and finally, the ‘Official Monster Raving Loony Party’ formed in 1982 at the Golden Lion Hotel in Ashburton, Devon. It was registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission in 1983, and by that point, Sutch was known as Screaming Lord Sutch.  

What may have been their first act as a party was to install, “Bob,” a Springer Spaniel owned by Sutch, as their candidate for Parliament. Bob was representing, “The Monster Raving Loony Barking Mad Dog Party.”

He lost.

Sutch, who lead the party for 38 years, died in 1999, but is still regarded its spiritual leader. But no fear, the party lives and it has an official website!