At last, a Co ‘ALE’ ition to be happy about
MONSTER Raving Loony Party leader Alan ‘Howling Laud’ Hope is toasting success after launching a beer named after him and his party, in the Strangers’ Bar of the House of Commons.
The Fleet resident, who was born in Mytchett, went to school in Farnborough and was landlord of the Dog and Partridge pub in Yateley, was delighted to pull a few pints of the Winning Co‘ALE’ition.
Mr Hope was joined by Fleet resident Derrill Carr and Lisa Robins, of Basingstoke’s Longdog brewery, for the launch.
They were met at the Houses of Parliament by Rollo Hope, chief of staff to Sir Gerald Howarth, who escorted the group to The Strangers’ Bar.
Straight after Prime Minister’s Questions, the group was joined by Aldershot MP Sir Gerald, North East Hampshire MP James Arbuthnot, Basingstoke’s Maria Miller, and Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark.
The launch was poignant for Mr Hughes as David “Screaming Lord” Sutch took him on in the Bermondsey by-election in February 1983 when the Monster Raving Loony Party first fielded an electoral candidate. “Simon Hughes won this by-election and was elected as an MP for the first time and has been the Bermondsey MP ever since,” said Mr Carr. “We have invited Simon several times to Co‘ALE’ition launch events to celebrate 30 years of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party (OMRLP) and his own 30-year term as the Bermondsey MP. Alan was delighted Simon could accept our invitation to join him in The Strangers’ Bar.”
Mr Carr said all four MPs were drinking Winning Co‘ALE’ition.
“It is the only ale brewed for a political party to ever appear in a bar in the Houses of Parliament and represents another first for the OMRLP,” he added. “What is also remarkable is four MPs came to support the launch at The Strangers’ Bar – normally just one MP attends.”
Mr Carr said it was ‘amazing’ for Mr Hope to see himself portrayed on the Winning Co‘ALE’ition pumpclip, with his hand held high by Prime Minister David Cameron, from a photograph taken at the Witney General Election count in May 2010. “The pumpclip will be visible to lots of MPs from all parties and will really help put the party on the map,” he added.