- guardian.co.uk, Sunday 12 December 1999 00.01 GMT
The move adds to the shambles that followed Jeffrey Archer's forced removal from the campaign, and places a big question mark over the Tory leader's judg ment and authority over the party. The decision to bar the relatively liberal Norris increased the fears of some Tories that Hague is leading his party further towards the right, following his decision to fight the repeal of legislation banning the 'promotion' of homosexuality.
The move also adds to the growing sense of farce surrounding the race for the London mayorship, leaving four Tory unknowns in the running. The only one with government experience is 66-year-old Doreen Miller, who ran a beauty club for many years before being appointed a life peer and government whip by John Major. She is favourite for the Tory nomination.
Members of the London executive who interviewed Norris yesterday are believed to have been put off both by his liberal views on gays and his notoriously heterosexual past. Six years ago he was exposed as having five mistresses.
A close friend of Norris's said: 'They wouldn't have excluded him if they hadn't thought he might win. Then there would be a very prominent Conservative who was not a right-wing homophobe, and that would have been a big threat to the Ann Widdecombe-John Redwood wing of the party.'
Norris himself said: 'I was always aware of a small group within the party, and their efforts to keep me off the list. Indeed, that is why I was not willing to put my name forward. I did so after considerable pressure from senior figures within the party. Sadly for the party I have been proven right.'
The other candidates still in the race are Kensington leader Baroness Hanham, Andrew Boff - an openly gay Tory activist, and Mark Kotechna, a self-made Internet millionaire who backs the party line on gays, describing himself as 'happily heterosexual'.
The news that Norris had been struck off was greeted with glee by Labour.
