Reform UK apologises for dropping an election candidate for failing to reply to ... trends now
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The Reform Party apologised today for dropping a general election candidate who was not responding to emails or calls about the campaign - after it was revealed he has died.
Party spokesman Gawain Towler said he was 'mortified' that the party announced that York Central candidate Tommy Cawkwell had been dropped.
When Mr Cawkwell failed to respond to a number of phone calls and emails, Reform rescinded his candidacy for being 'inactive', along with that of Julie Wilson, who was due to stand in the neighbouring York Outer seat later this year.
At the time Mr Toweler said: 'We can't afford to have people doing nothing in an election year.'
It then emerged that Mr Cawkwell, an RNLI volunteer, had died following the selection process.
Mr Towler told the Mirror: '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.'
Party spokesman Gawain Towler (in cap) said he was 'mortified' that the party announced that York Central candidate Tommy Cawkwell had been dropped.
It came as Rishi Sunak faced a disciplinary headache after a Tory MP urged voters to back Reform UK defector Lee Anderson in his Ashfield
