A woman who was a driving force behind the Monster Raving Loony Party for 20 years has died aged 61.
Mum-of-four Melodie Staniforth, also known as Boney Maroney, was big pals with former party leader Screaming Lord Sutch.
Melodie, who lived with husband Robert in Honley, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in August last year.
As a politician she stood in local council and Parliamentary elections from 1992 to around 2010.
She famously stood for the party against former Prime Minister Tony Blair and then Tory leader William Hague.
Husband Robert, a drummer with Lord Sutch’s band in the 1970s, told how Lord Sutch persuaded Melodie to join the party.
“She put her heart and soul into the Loony party"
When Lord Sutch died in 1999 she became deputy leader and set about modernising the tongue-in-cheek party.
“She was always up for a laugh,” said Robert. “You had to be with the Loony party.
“She put her heart and soul into the Loony party and when Lord Sutch died she turned it around and brought it into the modern day.
“The internet was just coming in and she introduced merchandise and T-shirts and when you joined the party you got a Certificate of Insanity!”
Lord Sutch gave Melodie the name Boney Maroney. In the 1960s he appeared on stage with an inflatable skeleton called Boney Maroney.
In 1990 he gave Melodie the name because she was 7st 2lb at the time.
Robert said Lord Sutch was a character to be around. Whenever he stood in a by-election he would blag a free stay in a local pub in exchange for playing a gig – and press and TV journalists would follow.
“Those times were loads of fun,” said Robert. “He had a unique way of captivating audiences. How someone who couldn’t sing a note could captivate people musically and politically I don’t know.”
In 2010 Melodie told the Examiner how she had quit politics and was two years into a three-year degree in illustration at the University of Huddersfield.
She said: “I’m having a wonderful break from politics. It feels marvellous to watch the election from the sidelines without being in the thick of it.
“I’ve always had an interest in art. Every time I visited a new place I would head straight for the art galleries. I’ve been doing black and white sketches for years.
“But back in the 1970s there was no chance of further education, it was straight into the mills. I started out as a mender at Josiah France’s in Honley at 15.”
In 2001 Melodie took on William Hague in Richmond, polling 561 votes. Four years later she stood against Mr Blair in Sedgefield, where 157 people backed her manifesto, which included turning all motorways into cycle tracks and introducing a 99p coin to save on change.
In 2007 Melodie left the party after a series of clashes with leader Alan “Howling Laud” Hope.
Melodie tried to set up a rival group – the Blah Party – with punk star Captain Sensible.
Melodie had four children Katie, Caine, Nadine and the late Samantha and grandsons Steven and James.
Her funeral will be held on Monday, September 3 (2.45pm) at Huddersfield Crematorium.
Robert says mourners can come “dressed as loonies” or wear the party colours of yellow and black.
