Have Ukip selected 'Welsh flag is evil' minister as candidate for Coventry South?

In a move which has surprised even its own supporters, Ukip have reportedly considered controversial George Hargreaves as its candidate to stand as MP for Coventry South in the general election.

Hargreaves, who first rose to fame as the man who wrote gay anthems including So Macho and Cruising for Sinitta in the '80s, became a millionaire in the process and moved to the Isle of Man as a tax exile.

There Hargreaves became a Pentecostal Minister, establishing the Christian People's Alliance and Operation Christian Vote. He then set up Christian Party, and in 2007 started a campaign to have the red dragon removed from the Welsh national flag.

Then he said: "We will not allow this evil symbol of the devil to reign over Wales for another moment. Wales is the only country in history to have a red dragon on its national flag. This is the very symbol of the devil described in The Book of Revelation 12:3.

"This is nothing less than the sign of Satan, the devil, Lucifer that ancient serpent who deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden."

As well as fronting Channel 4 show Make me a Christian in 2008, Hargreaves helped set up East London Christian Choir independent school in 2004, where students were taught creationism instead of evolution.

Hargreaves has also condemned Manchester United for having the "Red devil" as a logo, saying: "We urge Wayne Rooney not to honour the devil by wearing this shirt nor kiss this badge."

Despite once having a gay flatmate who died of AIDS, Hargreaves has said people with HIV shouldn't be treated on the NHS because their illness is "self-inflicted." He used proceeds from his gay anthems in Scotland to fund his overly anti-gay message, calling for an end to gay adoption and the reinstatement of the controversial Section 28.

He used proceeds from his gay anthems in Scotland to fund his overly anti-gay message, calling for an end to gay adoption and the reinstatement of the controversial Section 28.

The poster-turned-preacher's message hasn't gone down well with voters in the past. In a 2004 Birmingham byelection he received just 90 votes and standing in Barking in 2010 took just 1% of the vote.

However, there is confusion about whether Hargreaves has been selected for Coventry South.

The party's original candidate Mark Taylor seemed to think it was a done deal, telling the Coventry Telegraph: "I'm genuinely surprised at what has been done. I don't know why they chose me to step aside [but] I'm going to stay loyal, I'm not going to walk away from UKIP over this."

However, UKIP Deputy Chairman (sic) Suzanne Evans tweeted: "I've checked & I can confirm the RevGeorgeHargreaves is not a UKIP candidate. Dragons everywhere can relax :)"