Does Anyone Know Mark Matlock?

Addick Addict

The Reform candidate for Clapham & Brixton Hill? Has anyone from that area ever actually seen him. It seems that he may not exist and his picture may have been AI produced on leaflets.

Here's his X account (note the massive numbers of followers)

https://x.com/Dr_BellaR/status/1810294654790676573/photo/1

And he might not be the only one. Here's what Byline Times says about him and other potential invisible candidates:

https://bylinetimes.com/2024/07/03/reform-uks-invisible-candidates-who-are-they-hiding/ 

Here's the bio for one of those other Reform "candidates":

https://www.reformparty.uk/south-dorset-constituency

Lincsaddick

Addick Addict said:

The Reform candidate for Clapham & Brixton Hill? Has anyone from that area ever actually seen him. It seems that he may not exist and his picture may have been AI produced on leaflets.

Here's his X account (note the massive numbers of followers)

https://x.com/Dr_BellaR/status/1810294654790676573/photo/1

And he might not be the only one. Here's what Byline Times says about him and other potential invisible candidates:

https://bylinetimes.com/2024/07/03/reform-uks-invisible-candidates-who-are-they-hiding/ 

Here's the bio for one of those other Reform "candidates":

https://www.reformparty.uk/south-dorset-constituency

they're both doing a bit of bird for various misdeeds

Addick Addict

seth plum

Presumably candidates have to get a certain number of local nominations who have to give their addresses.
The deposit has to be paid over in some way.

guinnessaddick

seth plum said:

Presumably candidates have to get a certain number of local nominations who have to give their addresses.
The deposit has to be paid over in some way.

Ten nominations, it seems you need ID to vote, but not to stand.

Chizz

guinnessaddick said:

seth plum said:

Presumably candidates have to get a certain number of local nominations who have to give their addresses.
The deposit has to be paid over in some way.

Ten nominations, it seems you need ID to vote, but not to stand.

A lot of Richard Visick's nominees appear to have the same names as people found on IMDB, by a remarkable coincidence.

Addick Addict

seth plum said:

Presumably candidates have to get a certain number of local nominations who have to give their addresses.
The deposit has to be paid over in some way.

By Reform HQ? From what I can see, these candidates "live" miles away from their respective seats. In the case of Matlock, although no one has actually seen him, "he" has been responding on Twitter to the effect that he is real and was canvassing in the constituency until he was struck down with pneumonia some five days before the GE. In other cases, there is literally no real or one line presence, so much so that one candidate who "lived" 150 miles away, managed to secure over 4,000 votes without anyone in any shape or form actually having known anything about them. 

Now the Government and the Electoral Commission have a duty to investigate this but, of course, if this is malpractice then, presumably, there will have to be a by-election in those seats? Not that I, personally, want to let the Tories back in anywhere but one suspects that most of those 4,000 votes might have been Tory voters and that could have affected the result so they would have a legitimate case for complaint.

The wider ramifications would be, of course, much more serious for Reform. Let's also not forget that George Cottrell, Farage's right hand man, has been indicted on 21 counts of crimes including money laundering, wire fraud and blackmail.  

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/03/george-cottrell-nigel-farage-reform-uk-montenegro    

Bedsaddick

Reform corrupt? Who’da thought it ? 😂

Covered End

I know I’m being thick, but if true, what is the point?
You can’t fake that for 5 years?

RaplhMilne

Addick Addict said:

seth plum said:

Presumably candidates have to get a certain number of local nominations who have to give their addresses.
The deposit has to be paid over in some way.

By Reform HQ? From what I can see, these candidates "live" miles away from their respective seats. In the case of Matlock, although no one has actually seen him, "he" has been responding on Twitter to the effect that he is real and was canvassing in the constituency until he was struck down with pneumonia some five days before the GE. In other cases, there is literally no real or one line presence, so much so that one candidate who "lived" 150 miles away, managed to secure over 4,000 votes without anyone in any shape or form actually having known anything about them. 

Now the Government and the Electoral Commission have a duty to investigate this but, of course, if this is malpractice then, presumably, there will have to be a by-election in those seats? Not that I, personally, want to let the Tories back in anywhere but one suspects that most of those 4,000 votes might have been Tory voters and that could have affected the result so they would have a legitimate case for complaint.

The wider ramifications would be, of course, much more serious for Reform. Let's also not forget that George Cottrell, Farage's right hand man, has been indicted on 21 counts of crimes including money laundering, wire fraud and blackmail.  

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/03/george-cottrell-nigel-farage-reform-uk-montenegro    

A you managed to say all that and not Gaza mentioned. I Applaud your Central view of Uk politics. Isn’t there another forum, you can stir up political crap on rather than here.

Gribbo

We banned football threads on here now then?

Needs looking into, Political Life 🙄

FishCostaFortune

soapy_jones

Who, The Mattster?  Mattmeister general?  Locky Mac?  Son of Glen? 

Never heard of him...

Addick Addict

It seems they might be "real" but not real in the sense of being bona fide candidates. They are paper ones who never had any intention of campaigning.

Take the case of Morgan Tara Young who, once upon a time, went on holiday to her constituency. She lives 200 miles away in a village in Derbyshire and "ran" in South Dorset against Richard Drax of the Conservatives, who first won the seat in 2010. She has never attended any hustings and when questioned, she made no secret of the fact that she was a “paper candidate”.

“I work for the party, I work in their office in Leicestershire,” Young said. “I can’t really go into too much detail. I have just stood as a paper candidate, so I’m not active.” She had been to Dorset once before, when she took her daughter there on holiday, but has not returned since being placed on the ballot. “Not since the election has been called, no,” she said.

The result in that constituency:

Labour 15,639

Conservative 14,611

Reform 8,168

I wonder how many votes Reform might have received had she bothered to canvass?

AFKABartram

No offence, but we are done with politics on here for the time being. We let it have a run for the election, but we just don’t want it as an ongoing topic on the forum so grateful if everyone can respect that please going forward, cheers.