Andrew Alexander was a leading Fleet Street journalist who twice stood for the Conservatives in Colne Valley elections.
Mr Alexander, who has died aged 80, rose to become parliamentary sketch writer for the Daily Telegraph and later city editor at the Daily Mail and began his career in journalism in the early 1960s as a leader writer on the Yorkshire Post.
He stood for the Conservatives in the March 1963 Colne Valley by-election, but came a poor third with 6,238 votes behind the victorious Labour candidate Pat Duffy and second-placed Liberal candidate Richard Wainwright.
During the campaign, Mr Alexander became known as “honest Andrew” after being asked who he’d like to win if he didn’t – and saying that he would favour the Labour candidate.
Mr Alexander stood again as Tory candidate in Colne Valley in the October 1964, General Election, but came bottom with 7,207 votes as Pat Duffy retained the seat.
In 1966 he joined the Daily Telegraph has leader writer and parliamentary sketch writer before moving to the Daily Mail in 1972. Many of his articles in those days covered the Commons battles between Harold Wilson and Edward Heath.
Mr Alexander, who won several press industry awards, became city editor at the Daily Mail in 1984.
A bachelor, he gave up that post in 2002 but continued to write a column for the Mail until 2014.
