Reform UK ‘mortified’ it dropped inactive candidate after it emerged he had died

The party told the BBC it has removed more than 50 of its candidates for ‘complete inactivity’.

Reform UK leader Richard Tice (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Reform UK has said it is “mortified” that it dropped a candidate for being inactive, after it turned out he had died.

When York Central candidate Tommy Cawkwell failed to respond to a number of phone calls and emails, Reform rescinded his candidacy.

It then emerged that Mr Cawkwell, an RNLI volunteer, had died following the selection process.

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

Reform UK spokesperson

When the party first dropped Mr Cawkwell, it said: “We can’t afford to have people doing nothing in an election year.”

A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Having it being suggested that we had rescinded Mr Cawkwell’s candidacy for inappropriate social media messages by a local paper, I suggested that he was one of those candidates that had been removed for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 if 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.

“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.”

The party told the BBC it has removed more than 50 of its candidates for “complete inactivity”.