Mad Cow-Girl

Rosalyn Warner (1961 in Harwich, Essex – 4 July 2010 in Sunderland),[1][2] better known as Mad Cow-Girl, was a British nurse who contested several elections as a candidate for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. She ran for election to the House of Commons for the Haltemprice and Howden seat in 2008 against incumbent Conservative MP David Davis, where she polled 412 votes (a vote that David Davis won comfortably).

This article is about the politician. For the film, see Mad Cowgirl.

Mad Cow-Girl
Personal details
Born
Rosalyn Warner

1961
Harwich, Essex
Died4 July 2010 (aged 48–49)
Sunderland
NationalityBritish
Political partyMonster Raving Loony Party
ResidenceWearside
OccupationIntensive care unit nurse

Background

Warner's involvement with the OMRLP began in 1997 when she met Screaming Lord Sutch and she subsequently stood as a candidate in both local and general elections from 2004 to 2008. She also stood for election under the name The Mad Cow-Girl Warner.[3] Mad Cow-Girl held numerous positions within the Monster Raving Loony Party, including Party Secretary, Campaigns Officer, Party Archivist and Shadow Minister for around the world in Eighty Days.[4] She stood at the 2001 and 2005 General Elections for the party, in the first constituency to declare – Sunderland South. According to one journalist: "she triumphantly succeeded in maintaining the party's fine tradition of making an absolute mockery of the proceedings, spoiling the perfect picture of democracy at its noblest moment".[5] In 2005 she appeared in national newspapers alongside then Prime Minister Tony Blair during the Sedgefield count.[6] In 2006 she stood successfully for the board of a Hendon regeneration project, beating a British National Party candidate. Originally from Essex, she lived in Wearside for 10 years, and worked as an intensive care nurse at Sunderland Royal Hospital.[7][8]

After a two-week visit to a friend in Sunderland I quickly decided that the friendliness and hospitality of the people up in the North East of England was my kind of society. The north-south divide does exist in my opinion – the north being a much more pleasant place to live.

— Mad Cow-Girl, Quoted by the Sunderland Echo, 19 June 2008.[7]

Haltemprice and Howden byelection, 2008 candidacy
We like to have fun when we go to elections...That's what we're in it for. But on this occasion it seems that the sensible candidate is acting like a loony, so it's up to the Loony Party to try and act sensibly. What a topsy-turvy world we live in.

Mad Cow-Girl, Sunderland Echo.[7]

Warner was one of 26 candidates standing in the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election for the seat of Conservative MP David Davis.[9] In a statement made to the media she stated on the issue of detaining terrorist suspects for 42 days: "I may be a Loony, but I'm not mad enough to want dangerous people walking free in the name of political correctness."[10] Warner argued for the extension of the time-limit for which terrorist suspects can be detained without charge and also argued against civil libertarians who opposed the 42-day limit.[11] She is standing on an indefinite-detention platform, combined with a quote based on Douglas Adams's "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy": "The answer is 42!!! Now we just need to figure out the real question!!!"[11]

Warner positioned herself as tough on terrorism in the run up to the by-election in order to appeal to the voters of the predominantly conservative seat. In one interview she asked: "Why don't decent citizens have a 'human right' not be assaulted, blown up or harassed, when the criminals can scream human rights if their handcuffs hurt?"[12]

The high-profile nature of the by election has led to Warner's candidature being announced on several news sites.[13] The Daily Record consider the fact that only Warner and possibly one other candidate will stand means that the by-election has descended into a farce.[14] The Daily Record have endorsed Warner's candidacy on this account:

The poor folk of Haltemprice and Howden should show their contempt by giving the polls a bodyswerve.

But if they must vote in this unnecessary £100,000 waste of time, we say: Vote Cow-Girl.

OK, her track record's not great. She only polled 149 votes at the last general election in Sunderland South. And she wasn't much help to Nick The Flying Brick in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election last month.

But, crucially, she's not as discredited as David Davis. Or MacKenzie, for that matter.

— The Daily Record, 14 June 2008[15]

The Independent suggested that Warner was chosen as the candidate because another candidate Banana Man would be contesting the Henley By-Election as a result of Boris Johnson resigning his Henley seat on becoming Mayor of London.[16]

Electoral history

Haltemprice and Howden
Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative David Davis 17,113 71.6 24.1
Green Shan Oakes 1,758 7.4 N/A
English Democrat Joanne Robinson 1,714 7.2 N/A
National Front Tess Culnane 544 2.3 N/A
Miss Great Britain Party Gemma Garrett 521 2.2 N/A
Independent Jill Saward 492 2.1 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Mad Cow-Girl 412 1.7 N/A
Independent Walter Sweeney 238 1.0 N/A
Independent John Nicholson 162 0.7 N/A
Independent David Craig 135 0.6 N/A
New Party David Pinder 135 0.6 N/A
no label David Icke 110 0.5 N/A
Freedom 4 Choice Hamish Howitt 91 0.4 N/A
Socialist Equality Chris Talbot 84 0.4 N/A
Independent Grace Astley 77 0.3 N/A
Christian George Hargreaves 76 0.3 N/A
Church of the Militant Elvis David Bishop 44 0.2 N/A
Independent John Upex 38 0.2 N/A
Independent Greg Wood 32 0.1 N/A
Independent Eamonn Fitzpatrick 31 0.1 N/A
Make Politicians History Ronnie Carroll 29 0.1 N/A
Independent Thomas Darwood 25 0.1 N/A
Independent Christopher Foren 23 0.1 N/A
Independent Herbert Crossman 11 0.0 N/A
Independent Tony Farnon 8 0.0 N/A
Independent Norman Scarth 8 0.0 N/A
Majority 15,355 64.2 53.5
Turnout 23,911 34.5[18] 35.7
Conservative hold Swing N/A

2006 council elections
Local council elections 2006: Sunderland, Hendon Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Mary Smith 1,062
BNP David Guynan 534
Conservative Alistar Newton 528
Liberal Democrats John Jackson 361
Monster Raving Loony Mad Cow-Girl 48

2005 general election
General election 2005: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Chris Mullin 17,982
Conservative Robert Oliver 6,923
Liberal Democrats Gareth Kane 4,492
BNP David Guynan 1,166
Monster Raving Loony Mad Cow-Girl 149

2001 general election

Warner gained 291 votes or 0.9% of the total turnout.[19]

General election 2001: Sunderland South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Chris Mullin 19,921
Conservative Jim Boyd 6,254
Liberal Democrats Mark Greenfield 3,675
BNP Joseph Doble 576
UKIP Joseph Moore 470
Monster Raving Loony Mad Cow-Girl 291
Majority

2000 council elections
Local council elections 2000: Sunderland, Hendon Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Janice Morrissey 1,213
Labour Gilian Gailbraith 1,082
Monster Raving Loony Mad Cow-Girl 108
BNP David Guynan 82
gollark: Also, anyone got new achievement ideas?
gollark: No.
gollark: Play now at https://osmarks.tk/points.
gollark: Yes, and it's more obvious on desktop because I set them to use the clicky cursor icon.
gollark: No. I only like rectangles.

See also

References
  1. "Haltemprice and Howden". Ukpollingreport.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  2. "Rosalyn Warner : Obituary". Sunderland Echo family notices. Johnston Press plc. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. "VOTE 2001 CANDIDATES". BBC News. London. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  4. "Loony Officials Over The Years". Rosalyn.me.uk. Archived from the original on 6 April 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  5. Callow, Simon (2 July 2005). "Desperately funny". London: Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  6. "Sedgefield photograph". Rosalyn.me.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  7. Booler, Tim (19 June 2008). "Wear Mad Cow-Girl in Davis by-election". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 19 June 2008.
  8. "BNP member fails to win board seat". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  9. "Davis has 25 by-election rivals". BBC News. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  10. Associated Press. "Quotes of the Day". LexisNexis News. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  11. Madcows Statement, accessed 13 June 2008 Archived 15 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Percival, Jenny (16 June 2008). "Fruit and veg trader to fight David Davis in bye-election on 42-day ticket". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
  13. Murphy, Joe; Waugh, Paul. "Brown attacks Tory rebel as ex-Sun editor says he'll fight seat". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  14. Schofield, Kevin. "Monster Raving Loony Party and Kelvin MacKenzie may be only by-election opposition to David Davis". The Daily Record. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  15. "By-Election Is A Freak Show". The Daily Record. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  16. Merrick, Jane (15 June 2008). "Davis Debacle: Tory leader manqué self-destructs". The Independent. London. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  17. East Riding of Yorkshire Council (26 June 2008). "Statement as to persons nominated and notice of poll" (PDF). Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  18. This is Hull and East Riding
  19. "General Election results, 7 June 2001" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
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