- Farage billed £8,000 by ex-candidate
- Mack claims unpaid campaign costs
- Allegations of undemocratic party structure
Nigel Farage has been issued a bill for more than £8,000, which a former Reform UK candidate claims he is due for organizing a general election campaign in Clacton before being sidelined when the party leader decided to run.
Tony Mack, the party’s candidate in the Essex constituency until June, claimed Farage guaranteed him in a phone call that the party would “pay back every fucking penny” and made several other promises.
The psychiatrist and charity worker claims he was shut out by Reform UK and that Farage reneged on an agreement they agreed on. He says he is speaking out because he believes the MP cannot be trusted. He accused an “aggressive element” among Reform UK supporters of cultivating a “fascistic” climate in the constituency.
In a letter to Farage this week, he claims he is owed £8,500, including a website (www.reformclacton.com) that Mack created and used for his campaign.
“I fear for the future of Reform unless it is democratized,” he remarked, referring to the party’s peculiar structure, which is registered as a company and ultimately controlled by Farage rather than its members.
“I’m also concerned about the sustainability of such a movement when it’s led by a man who cannot meet his promises. Where does this leave his constituents, or supporters, who have placed their trust in Reform to bring about the necessary change?”
Mack, who ultimately decided to run as an independent in Clacton to expand on his experience working with local communities, recounted how the atmosphere in the constituency shifted when Farage’s campaign began.
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He claims he was abused online by people he believes were Reform supporters and reported it to the police.
In a letter to Farage and Reform UK, Mack stated that he was making a formal plea for him to keep a commitment made over the phone on June 3rd, when Farage announced his candidacy, and in person on June 4th.
The expenses were reported to include the “unauthorized” use of Mack’s site domain and the cost of promotional materials and venue rental. Mack also claimed Farage promised him a salaried position at the top of the politician’s team in Clacton.
According to sources within Reform UK, Mack was motivated by a personal grievance. They said he publicly supported Farage once the Reform UK leader became the candidate and initially signed his nomination papers.
Mack, who received 317 votes as an independent in Clacton, has been named the Reform UK candidate for October 2023.
Farage defeated a Conservative majority of more than 25,000 to easily win the seat in his eighth attempt to enter the House of Commons.
