Meet Monkey the Drummer -  the Official Monster Raving Loony Party’s candidate for Kingston and Surbiton who pledges not to bully anyone and assures everyone that he does not own a moat.

Monkey claims that he is the toughest challenge to the Liberal Democrat hold in Kingston and Surbiton, he warns: “Ed Davey should worry about the Loony Party but hopefully we can have a friendly campaign.”

He is urging students to get out and vote, saying:  “If you are fed up with the others then vote for us.  The main thing is to not waste your vote – it is better to vote Loony than not at all!”

Official Monster Raving Loony Party policies include providing chocolate on prescription, painting every third building purple to fix the economy and keep young people out of trouble, fitting politicians with electric shock collars, compulsory political mascots to make elections more interesting and giving everyone a one million pound note if they get into power – “that means university tuition fees would not be an issue” says Monkey.

Sounds loony – but some of the party’s previous policies such as 24 hour drinking have already been made into law and they are now campaigning for the abolishment of the tax on live music in pubs.

One issue that Monkey is taking a serious stand on is the proposed closure of Kingston Hospital’s maternity and accident and emergency departments which he says is: “complete insanity.”

At the moment the Kingston and Surbiton branch of the Loony party is homeless, Monkey says:  “I am currently looking for a local pub with live music to call my headquarters. “ 

Monkey explains that most Loony party head quarters are in pubs “as a lot of members are musicians it is an accidental coincidence but what better place – the pub is a community space and on a Friday night it is heaving.”

The Loony party even have their own band What’s Next who have launched two election songs – Monster Mistake and Coming Around Westminster. 

Screaming Lord Sutch formed the Official Monster Raving Loony Party in 1983 and ran against Tory leader Margaret Thatcher in the general election. The following year she raised the deposit to stand as a candidate from £150 to £500 to try to put him off.

The current leader Alan ‘Howling Laud’ Hope is standing against Conservative party leader David Cameron inWhitney this year and Crucial Chris Dowling from What’s Next will stand against the BNP leader Nick Griffin in Barking.

So far 27 people have pledged to stand as a Loony candidate leaving the party 23 short of the 50 candidates needed to qualify for an election broadcast. 

The party firmly believes that they are upholding everyone’s democratic right to stand for Parliament.

Monkey believes that the Loony party has played an important role in British democracy over the years saying:  “We are an important part of British eccentricity and where would we be without that.”