A REFORM UK candidate has insisted that he is real after allegations emerged that the party had fielded AI-generated candidates in the General Election.
Social media users raised concerns that some Reform UK candidates had almost no online presence, leaving voters unsure whether they were being asked to vote for a real person.
The case of Mark Matlock gained particular attention after it appeared that his photograph on a Reform UK leaflet was AI-generated.
The magazine Private Eye tracked down the 30-year-old, who then admitted that he had used AI to create the image on the leaflet.
He claimed that he did so because he did not have a photograph of himself wearing the trademark turquoise-coloured tie of the party.
However, he has since taken to X/Twitter to lambast the "extreme left" for their scepticism over Reform UK's candidates.
He said: "I would like to say to all my followers this is nothing more than 'election interference'
"The extreme left are attacking me, attacking my party because we stand in the way of them controlling you.
"I am a real person I have real values and this hoax of a witch hunt will be exposed."
Matlock then posted a video of himself dancing to "Here Comes The Hotstepper" before once again claiming that he had been the victim of a witch hunt.
He also appeared on GB News and accused the media of spreading "fake news".
Good morning, as you can see this is election interference a complete witch hunt. Set to destroy our integrity amongst our party. I hope we have exposed this enough to bring these crooked criminals to light. They are bottom feeders the lowest of the lowest.
— Mark Matlock (@vote4MarkReform) July 9, 2024
"Good morning, as you can see this is election interference a complete witch hunt," he said.
"Set to destroy our integrity amongst our party.
"I hope we have exposed this enough to bring these crooked criminals to light.
"They are bottom feeders the lowest of the lowest."
