Wakefield by-election candidates compete to deploy the most unsettling argument

There seems to be a competition among the 15 candidates in Wakefield to put forward the most unsettling argument as to why you should vote for them.

First there was Paul Bickerdake of the Christian People's Alliance, whose leaflet began:

"I have been a foster carer for over 14 years and have never sexually assaulted anyone. I am happily married to Janet."

Then, says YorkshireLive:

In response to questions about the leaflet, Mr Bickerdale said: "I do look at children but I look at children in a proper way, not the way that the previous MP was looking at children."

It's a big ask, but today, the Conservative candidate Nadeem Ahmed may have topped that today.

As the story is behind the Telegraph paywall, it's over to indy100:

The Telegraph's Whitehall correspondent Tony Diver was in Wakefield ahead of the by-election next week that has been called after the former Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan was convicted for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy. 

Diver spoke to Tory candidate in the Wakefield by-election, Nadeem Ahmed, who claimed Khan was "one bad apple" and argued "we still trust GPs” after notorious serial killer Harold Shipman killed 250 people. 

Tory hopeful Ahmed said: "The people of Wakefield know that he [Khan] was one bad apple. As you know, Harold Shipman committed suicide in Wakefield prison. 

"He was a GP – one of the most, you know, a trusted professional like teachers and others… Have we stopped trusting GPs? No."

And here is a tweet from Diver to prove it:

NEW: The Tory candidate in the Wakefield by-election has said voters should still back the Conservatives because “we still trust GPs” after Harold Shipman killed 250 people.

Nadeem Ahmed says Imran Ahmad Khan was just "one bad apple".

Story: https://t.co/Q57VB4aWit pic.twitter.com/bVv1HOTdki

— Tony Diver (@Tony_Diver) June 16, 2022