Tolstoy stands in by-election

Count Nicolai Tolstoy, the author and historian, was named yesterday as the UK Independence Party candidate for the the by-election in the Labour-held seat of Barnsley East. It is expected that the by-election in the staunch mining constituency will take place on 12 November.

Alan Sked, leader of the anti-European party, also announced that Dr Richard North, a food and farming consultant, would be its candidate in the by-election for the Tory-held Wirral South seat. Colin Brown