Who is Mark Matlock?

I owe you a tenner

 

Since voters have to present photo ID surely candidates have to as well?

 

I'm not sure why this should be an issue...he's what's known as a 'paper candidate'...all of the main parties use them to some degree. Generally speaking, in a Constituency or Ward (in local elections) the big parties like to have a presence on the ballot paper... whether they've a hope of winning or not. In areas where there is no hope of winning they don't spend time and money campaigning and the candidate won't bother attending anything.

 

Surely it has to be an actual person though?

 

He's real. Sounds like he's made a statement admitting he used an AI image for his photo. Just literally some bloke who agreed to stand without campaigning or making any public appearances. Just there to scoop up votes for Farage but with no attempt to win the seat. It's looking like reform did this for a lot.of the seats they stood candidates in.

Almost like Farage deliberately manipulated the vote share situation to put forward the argument that he and his PLC deserve a bigger share of power. If ever there was an argument against proportional representation this is it. All proportion, no representation.

 

This is it. They’ve basically done it just to harm the Tories.

 

I'll support farridge's wish for proportional representation when he launches a campaign to put 49% of the UK back into Europe. That would be proportional wouldn't it

 

From the Private Eye, he’s real, the picture isn’t.

 

Not really, it's all a bit modern for me but there's no stipulation that they have to show a photo, or give any other information other than an address, which can be the party office rather than a home address...all a candidate needs is to have filled the forms in correctly to be on the ballot paper...he/she is under no obligation to do anything else.
An example I can think of...the Tories put forward a candidate in one of our local elections, she was the Grandmother of a candidate in a different area, the poor lady was 86 and bedridden...they knew the party hadn't a hope in hell, but had she won she'd have resigned and forced a bye-election, then they would try and find a genuine candidate.

 

Actors can also be vile racist Reform knuckle daggers. Mad but true. I mean Lawrence Fox might be a plant too.

 

And yet Mr Farage wants to blame the vetting company that apparently doesn’t vet people. There’s no way that this “candidate” (& any “pretend” ones) is ok - under no circumstances!

 

If he really is an out of work actor then it raises more questions than just the one Farage raised. Eg how did he come to be representing Reform in the first place? And did any money change hands for his services?

 

Would it suprise you either way it wouldn't me, I also know many Asians who wouldn't vote for starmer after his support for Israel. So go knows who they voted if anyone maybe lib dems.

 

Not my opinion Marc...just fact, there's no obligation to put a photo up at all..however I do think if a photo is shown it should be one of the actual candidates face. I've no idea what AI does but if it's a true likeness with a different coloured tie as has been stated by others ...it's so insignificant as to not matter.

 

Why are you so intent on parroting this "paid actor" stuff?

 

There was about 4 threads on the said matter when it got filmed. Then other things appear and nothing gets said. Like I said I wouldn't be suprised either way tbh.

 

What appears? There's literally no evidence to suggest he was a paid actor arranged to make Reform look bad.