Reform UK 'mortified' after sacking 'inactive' candidate who turned out to be dead
11 April 2024, 11:34
Reform UK has said it is ‘mortified’ after sacking a general election candidate who was deceased.
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The party dropped York Central candidate Tommy Cawkwell after he did not respond to emails and phone calls.
Reform initially said it had rescinded his candidacy for "inappropriate social media messages,” but it later turned out he had in fact died following the selection process.
A Reform UK spokesman said: "Naturally I am mortified that through ignorance I did not realise the reason for his inactivity, it must have been ghastly for his family to read about it in the way it was presented in the press."
When he was first sacked, a spokesman said "we need candidates who are active to give people the candidates they deserve", adding: “We can’t afford to have people doing nothing in an election year."
After it emerged the candidate had died, the spokesman continued: “: "Having it being suggested that we had rescinded Mr Cawkwell's candidacy for inappropriate social media messages by a local paper, I suggested that he was one of those candidates that had been removed for inactivity.
“The process, if we have not heard from a candidate in a while we try and get in touch, a number of phone calls and emails are made, then if no response a final email is sent suggesting that the candidate does not respond then they will be removed.
"Reform was not aware that Mr Cawkwell had passed away, as this happened in an interregnum between Yorkshire area managers. So with no response being made he was removed."
This week the party’s leader Richard Tice had to defend his party’s vetting process after a number of candidates were dropped.
At least 12 of the party's general election candidates have been ditched or suspended over offensive social media posts.
Mr Tice said Reform was "the fastest party to get rid of candidates" over inappropriate behaviour.
Some Reform candidates had been dropped for liking tweets by former EDL leader Tommy Robinson, while others had made racist remarks about London Mayor Sadiq Khan and First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf.
