See also Richard Huggett (playwright)

Richard Huggett (playwright)

Richard Huggett is a playwright.Possibly his best known play is The First Night of Pygmalion.-External links:*...

.

Richard John Huggett (born January 1944) is a British citizen noted for standing in a variety of elections using descriptions which were similar, but not identical, to those of established political parties, leading to this practice being outlawed under the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998

Registration of Political Parties Act 1998

The Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 , or An Act to make provision about the registration of political parties was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to set up a register of political parties in the United Kingdom. Previously there had been no such register, and political...

.

Most notably he stood in the European Parliament Election, 1994

European Parliament election, 1994 (UK)

The European Parliament Election, 1994 was the fourth European election to be held in the United Kingdom. It was held on 9 June, though, as usual, the ballots were not counted until the evening of 12 June. The electoral system was, for the final European election, First Past the Post in England,...

 under the name "Literal Democrat" for the Devon and East Plymouth

Devon and East Plymouth (European Parliament constituency)

Devon and East Plymouth was a European Parliament constituency covering all of Devon in England, with the exception of the city of Plymouth. It was created in 1994 to replace the majority of Devon and a small part of Cornwall and Plymouth....

 seat, winning over 10,000 votes.

Hugget has also attempted to run as "Gerald Maclone" in the Winchester constituency in the 1997 General Election and the following by-election

Winchester by-election, 1997

The 1997 Winchester by-election was a by-election to the UK House of Commons in the constituency of Winchester, Hampshire. After an unclear result in Winchester at the general election on 1 May 1997, a new election was allowed by the High Court...

 (The sitting MP was junior minister Gerry Malone

Gerry Malone

Peter Gerald "Gerry" Malone MA, LLB is a British Conservative politician who was an MP from 1983–87 and 1992–97.Born in Glasgow, Malone was educated at St Aloysius' College, Glasgow, and the University of Glasgow...

).

Background

Huggett studied psychology

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

 and zoology

Zoology

Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...

 at the University of London

University of London

-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...

 and obtained a diploma in social and administrative studies. He lived for about 10 years in the South of France where he built yacht

Yacht

A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...

s. Huggett was reported to have been an intelligence officer who from 1989 ran a school for children in Hampshire. The school closed down in 1993 when the lease ran out on the building. He was a father of four, and had produced a first education video.

1994 European Parliament election

Huggett ran his campaign from Canonteign Manor, the home he shared with his mother near Christow

Christow

Christow is a village located on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, England. It has been around for hundreds of years nestled on the side of the Teign Valley. The village is presently home to around 850 people and grows slowly. It is situated 5 miles from the small town of Chudleigh and 8 miles...

 in the Teign

River Teign

The River Teign is a river in the county of Devon, England.Like many Devon rivers, the Teign rises on Dartmoor, near Cranmere Pool. Its course on the moor is crossed by a clapper bridge near Teigncombe, just below the prehistoric Kestor Settlement. It leaves the moor at its eastern side, flowing...

 valley in Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

.

When nominations closed and it was revealed that Huggett was a candidate with the description "Literal Democrat", the Liberal Democrats launched legal action in the High Court of Justice

High Court of Justice

The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...

 alleging that the Returning Officer

Returning Officer

In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...

 had wrongly accepted a nomination which was designed to confuse voters. The Judge ruled that the nomination had to stand.

In an interview recorded during the campaign but due to be broadcast after it Huggett hinted that future government should be conducted through electronic referendum

Referendum

A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...

s and said "the traditional party system generates all sorts of undemocratic processes."

Winchester Parliamentary Elections 1997

Huggett attempted to run as "Gerald Maclone" against junior health minister Gerry Malone

Gerry Malone

Peter Gerald "Gerry" Malone MA, LLB is a British Conservative politician who was an MP from 1983–87 and 1992–97.Born in Glasgow, Malone was educated at St Aloysius' College, Glasgow, and the University of Glasgow...

 in the Winchester constituency

Winchester (constituency)

Winchester is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...

 in 1997

United Kingdom general election, 1997

The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...

, but this was denied. He stood under his own name as "Liberal Democrat Top Choice for Parliament" in the General Election and as a "Literal Democrat" in the following by-election

Winchester by-election, 1997

The 1997 Winchester by-election was a by-election to the UK House of Commons in the constituency of Winchester, Hampshire. After an unclear result in Winchester at the general election on 1 May 1997, a new election was allowed by the High Court...

.