The radical John Wilkes had been pursued by the courts following his publication of a semi-pornographic parody of the work of Alexander Pope. His supporters returned him to the Commons as MP for Middlesex, but on the grounds of his conviction, Parliament had expelled him in February 1769, twice; and then again in March. He was re-elected every time. By April, the authorities came up with a way of avoiding the cat-and-mouse game: effectively refusing to acknowledge his win.