The Tory and Labour candidates who Nigel Farage beat to win his Westminster seat of Clacton have described a Reform campaign that felt like a “juggernaut”, as police began assessing claims of overspending by the Reform UK leader.
The candidates spoke after a former aide alleged that Reform UK falsely reported election expenses in Clacton, where Farage won in last year’s general election. On Monday, Essex police said they were assessing a report of “alleged misreported expenditure by a political party” after a referral from the Metropolitan police.
Richard Everett, a former Reform UK councillor and member of Farage’s campaign team, has reportedly submitted documents to police showing the party spent more than the £20,660 limit in the Essex constituency.
Everett has claimed Reform failed to declare spending on leaflets, banners, utility bills and the refurbishment of a bar in its Clacton campaign office, according to the Daily Telegraph.
He alleges the party’s official returns report that it came just £400 under the spending limit set by electoral law, and the undeclared spending would have put it above the cap. But he also said he thought Farage himself had been “blissfully unaware”.
Giles Watling, who had held the seat for the Conservatives before Farage won with more than 46% of votes cast in the contest, said that it was for others to determine whether there had been any illegality, but it felt as if Farage had got “more bang for his buck” during his campaign.
“It was a juggernaut but also one where we were swamped by people coming from all over the country to support him in his bid to take the seat,” added the former MP, whose own campaign underspent. He has told of a lack of support from Conservative HQ, with Labour supporters sometimes turning up to offer backing.
“Farage had a presidential style of campaign, turning up now and again and holding rallies, while the campaign made you feel as if he was there all the time. We now know of course he was in America a lot while I was knocking on doors,” he added. The former MP said there seemed to be “gazillions” of Reform leaflets in the constituency.
“It really did feel like a David and Goliath battle and I felt swamped to be honest. People can turn up but the buses and electronic billboards have to be paid for.”
Watling said that, as an actor, he paid tribute to Farage’s skills as a communicator, while still being concerned about the direction in which Reform was taking British politics.
The Labour candidate, Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, said: “I knew that I was on the back foot from an early stage. It was clear when we saw what seemed to be endless supplies of leaflets going through people’s doors, fancy banners going up every day and campaign vehicles.
“What do you do when you are up against a machine like that? For me this is about democracy. We can disagree and make the case for our own issues but democracy is also recognising due process and operating within the parameters of the contest.”
Tony Mack, who was originally the Reform candidate in Clacton but ran as an independent after accusing the party of reneging on pledges to give him a “very big role in the campaign”, said it was clear to him that his former party had spent more on the campaign than it had declared.
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“There was nothing available to Reform on the ground before Farage came in. Absolutely nothing,” said Mack. He cited Farage’s use of billboards and multiple ads in the local paper, the Clacton Gazette.
“Between all of that, as well as the furnishing and use of a building which became their HQ, venue hire and the postal campaign, it was hard in my view to come in under budget,” he added.
The opening up of a potential new controversy for Reform and its leader comes as Farage faces increasing pressure to apologise over the racism allegations described to the Guardian by 28 of his peers at Dulwich college.
Reform has strongly denied breaking the law on election spending. A Reform spokesperson said: “These inaccurate claims come from a disgruntled former councillor. The party denies breaking electoral law. We look forward to clearing our name.”
But Labour and the Conservatives said Farage had questions to answer over the allegations. The Labour chair, Anna Turley, said: “Nigel Farage needs to reassure the public that he and his party will cooperate fully with the police and put all the evidence they need on the table.
“Electoral fraud is a very serious crime which fundamentally undermines our democracy. All parliamentarians, including party leaders, must play by the rules so all candidates have a fair hearing with the public.”
