@IanDSmith@mastodonapp.uk 33 years ago in Aotearoa we had a similar situation - a populist sitting member (admittedly an MP for a party he did not lead) resigned to trigger a by-election he expected to be the only candidate for. The bi-election bivalve (a chap whose friends all knew him as Mollusc, though the returning officer insisted on Greg Pittams) stepped up, earning Mr Peter's enduring animosity Obviously as a member of the McGillicuddy Serious Party he was in no way a joke candidate. In the end an unfortunate ragtag of other candidates also joined the race, but Mollusc swept onto second place. So long as you don't count informal ballots, that is.