The Conservative candidate for the post of Mayor of London, Lord Archer, has announced that he is standing down. He said that he had taken the decision after a friend, Ted Francis, had revealed to the press that 13 years ago, Lord Archer had asked him to say he was having dinner with him, when in fact he was having dinner with what he described as a close female friend. Tory leader, William Hague, said that Lord Archer had let the party down and that there could be no question of him carrying on as its candidate.
