I was keen to start nice and early with the hustings in Shropshire North so arrived a week before the by-election on the 9th December.
I was booked into the ‘Shrewsbury Wetherspoon Hotel’ with the compliments of Tim Martin and was ready for seven days of campaigning.
The ‘Flying Brick’ and our local man ‘Englebert Finklestein’ had been hard at work some weeks earlier submitting my nomination papers. Englebert lives in Market Drayton which is in the constituency, and knew a lot of people there.
The weather was quite poor so I didn’t get about as much as I would have liked to, nevertheless many locals knew that I was there and word soon got around.
I had visits from ‘The Wilfred Owen’ in Oswestry and ‘The Hippodrome’ in Market Drayton, both ‘Spoons venues, and both in the voting area.
Although The Shrewsbury was out of the constituency a lot of people from North Shropshire worked there so it all worked very well.
Once again we didn’t win, but once again we didn’t come last! 118 votes put us in eighth position out of fourteen candidates. Six other candidates wondering ‘where on earth did I go wrong!’
The Count night was very interesting, I was joined by The Brick, Englebert, Mr R U Seerius, Lady Helen Back, Sir Giles Greenwood our Bridgnorth councillor and Jason the Argonaut.
Of course as usual cameras flashing everywhere, 
the usual ‘glad you are here’ comment, it won’t be so boring now.
Well it wasn’t, we soon livened the place up, photos of our leader taking the stage with the winner went global, – I’d like to think ‘Looniversal’. Or is that looking too far into the future, maybe not, who knows.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Howling ‘Laud’ Hope – Loony Party Leader.