This week’s Behind the Headlines comes from political reporter James Walker. To receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every week for free, click here.
MANY people, when describing what they love about their job, explain that “every day is different”.
On Monday this week, I certainly thought that a couple of times as I attempted to track down Reform UK’s so-called “ghost candidates” in Glasgow.
It was a story that fascinated many of our readers and captured the imagination of thousands – millions even – on social media.
Could Reform UK really have stood fake candidates at the General Election?
Dozens of candidates which Reform stood at the election are listed on the Nigel Farage-led party’s election website only showing their name and the constituency they stood in, without any information about them, or contact details beyond a generic regional email address.
WATCH: Tracking down Reform UK ghost candidates in Glasgow
Now, to be clear – there has been no evidence to suggest any Reform candidates aren’t actually real. The party has admitted some were so-called “paper candidates” who did no campaigning, and were there simply to help increase the party’s vote share.
But we set out to find out more, and we had a couple of prime examples right on our doorstep.
Helen Burns, Morag McRae and Jonathan Walmsley ran for Reform in Glasgow North, Glasgow South West and Glasgow North East respectively – amassing thousands of votes in the process.
But they weren’t seen campaigning in their constituencies, nor did they attend hustings or the final count according to some of their competitors.
So, instead of going into the office like any old Monday, I made my way to the office of David Stark – who was listed as the election agent for all three.
I went up the stairs of this unassuming building in Pollockshields in an attempt to find out more, leading me past the entrance to Alba’s main base in Glasgow – with Alba campaign material and leaflets stacked just alongside. Unrelated but interesting.
I knocked on the door at the end of the corridor. No answer.
So, I then hopped into a taxi to what we thought might be Stark’s home. It was listed as another office, but we doubted it given it was a residential home in Cumbernauld.
“I dont know,” he told me from his doorstep after asking him whether he knew if any of them had ever been to the city.
“But they’re paper candidates,” he added before admitting that he had also “never met” any of them.
“They've got votes. It gives people a chance to vote Reform,” Stark went on.
“We had two weeks to organise 57 candidates in Scotland. Inevitably, some of them were paper candidates.
“Various people who were chosen were away on holiday or business and we had to substitute with other people. That's just what happens. I'm sure other parties have done the same thing.”
In fairness, paper candidates, who stand little chance of winning and therefore don’t campaign, are not uncommon in UK politics.
But on the scale of Reform, who secured 14% of the vote – third place UK-wide? A party that potentially decided the end result of so many seats? And with that little identifying information for prospective voters?
HELEN BURNS FINALE 👍🏼 I spoke with Helen and it’s safe to say, this is the end of the road. Thanks to everyone who got involved and please keep holding these clowns accountable pic.twitter.com/VkeMwQ6KiF
— Kim Blythe (@kbfilms92) July 12, 2024
The National noticed that people were particularly fascinated by Helen Burns after comedian Kim Blythe’s (above) hilarious viral search for her local Glasgow candidate.
We even got into contact with her with a view towards doing a collaboration and traveling down to North-West Leicestershire together for a wee investigative video series.
But alas – The Telegraph beat us to it and found the real Helen Burns. Someone had to.
