It’s good to know where some MPs’ priorities are. When not comparing marriage equality rights for gay people to bigamy and child marriage or writing expletive-filled messages to IPSA, Tory Karl McCartney has spent the last three years urging parliamentary staff to typeset his name with a superscript letter ‘C’, as in his letterhead above.

The Lincoln MP relates a life of typographical discrimination in a tear-jerking email to colleagues:

“I have continually through my life, from school, through college and in the work place, with my own political party and the returning officer where I stood for election, had to make a point of informing others that my name is spelt and should look a certain way – with a superscript small ‘c’.”

“After swearing my allegiance for the first time as a newly elected MP, I was asked how I wished my name to be recorded once I had progressed to behind the Speaker’s Chair. I indicated that I would like it typed and recorded as it is written – with a superscript small ‘c’ eg: McCartney. I was told that someone would get back to me as it ‘…might be problematic’.”

But having waged a three-year campaign against this injustice — attempting to rope in fellow victims such as Esther McVey, John McDonnell and Pat McFadden — McCartney writes that he has finally won out:

“Those of you with sharp eyesight may well have spotted on today’s Order Paper -at Question 11 to the Cabinet Office – me with a little sneaky superscript ‘c’!”

While parliamentary staff are beholden to a 19th Century culture of deference to MPs and their bizarre requests, however, his own party have decided to ignore him:

But at least McCartney is now the subject of interest for something other than bigotry or swearing.