Reform UK fake candidate conspiracy theories debunked

For opposition parties this practice is particularly important for amassing “short money” – the funds handed out by parliament to help them hold the government to account.

A party is awarded £22,295.86 for every seat won at the general election plus £44.53 for every 200 votes amassed.

Before the election, the Labour Party was entitled to £7,527,952.91 per year in funding.

Parties with five or fewer MPs – like Reform UK – are limited to an annual subsidy of £376,230 plus further funds to cover travel costs.

However, Nigel Farage’s party argues that their motivation in selecting as many candidates as possible was about democracy not money.

“People deserve the option to vote for us if they so wish,” said a spokesperson.

“If they didn’t have a paper candidate, that right is taken from them. It’s just putting a name on a piece of paper. There is nothing weird about this.”

The Electoral Commission said there are no rules general election candidates to any minimum level of campaigning.

Viral star Mark Matlock is embracing his new-found fame, even if it was the result of online conspiracy theories.

“I love it, a free advertisement. It’s great”, he told GB News.

“I’ve been made like a star on Twitter. I could never have imagined that this would be the case. It’s fantastic”, he said.

“Thank you to all the extremists who’ve done this for me.”