Taking politics literally

A candidate who was accused of trying to deceive the electorate after he polled 10,000 votes as a "Literal Democrat" plans to stand as "Gerald Maclone" against the health minister Gerald Malone in the general election. Richard Huggett said yesterday that he had received letters from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellor's department under the name Maclone and had even taken out a pension plan.

Mr Huggett, who stood as a "Literal Democrat" in the 1994 Devon and Plymouth East European election, plans to stand as an independent in 50 constituencies. The same number has been targeted by the anti-abortion Pro-Life Alliance Party.