Reform Cold-Called a Guardian Journalist and a Rival Party Councillor to Be Its Election Candidates; Farage Says "Every Party Does That"

LONDON — A political party that has described itself as "the authentic voice of the British people," "a grassroots movement," and "fundamentally different from the establishment parties" has, it emerged this week, been cold-calling members of the public to ask if they'd like to represent it in the May 7 local elections — no experience, beliefs, or prior involvement necessary.

The approach involves Reform representatives phoning people whose only connection to the party is, in many cases, having once clicked an email link or attended a public meeting, and asking them to submit their name and address so they can appear on a ballot paper. Callers reportedly assure recipients that they will not be required to campaign, attend any events, or do anything beyond existing as a named human being on a printed document.

"Just have your name on the ballot and maybe you'll actually win," one recipient was told. "You don't have to do anything."

The Journalist

Among those contacted was a journalist at The Guardian who received the call, asked several clarifying questions, noted down the responses, and published a story about it the following morning. The Reform caller, who had not apparently considered this outcome, has not been identified.

The journalist's account confirmed that he had been asked whether he would "come in to become a paper candidate today and help us win the election." He had no prior connection to the party. He had not expressed any interest in standing for office. He writes a column that is, on balance, not favourable to Reform UK.

Nigel Farage, informed of this, said: "Have we called paid-up members of the party to see if they want to get engaged? Yes, but every party does that." The journalist was not a paid-up member of the party. Farage did not address this distinction.

The Rival Councillor

In what sources describe as "an even better one, frankly," Sam Webber — a sitting councillor on Bromley Council representing a different party — was also cold-called by Reform's membership team and asked if he would like to be a paper candidate in the May 7 elections.

"They rang me up and asked if I wanted to stand for them. I'm already a councillor. For someone else. I think they may not have checked." — Sam Webber, councillor, Bromley, who was very much already involved in local politics

A Reform spokesperson said the calls represented "enthusiastic outreach to the community" and that not every call would result in a perfect candidate match, which is one way to describe telephoning your opponents' elected representatives.

The Broader Picture

The cold-calling campaign reflects a real logistical problem for a party that has grown very quickly and is attempting to field candidates across thousands of seats. Reform aims to win over 1,000 council seats on May 7. To stand candidates in 1,000+ seats, you need 1,000+ people willing to be candidates.

Finding people who support the party, are willing to be publicly associated with it, have addresses in the relevant ward, and have not previously said anything that will appear in a newspaper has proven, sources confirm, "more complicated than anticipated."

Farage, asked whether the cold-calling suggested the party was struggling to find candidates, said: "We have thousands of candidates standing. That's not struggling, that's success." When a reporter asked how many of those candidates had been cold-called into existence, Farage said it was "a very negative way to look at engagement" and ended the interview.

The May 7 elections will reveal how many of Reform's paper candidates — those who agreed to have their name on a ballot in exchange for doing nothing — have, in the spirit of British democratic participation, accidentally won seats they did not expect, seek, or prepare for. Several party officials confirmed they were "fairly relaxed about this outcome" and that there would be "inductions."