Tice accuses Tories of dirty tricks in bid to stop Reform

Reform UK chair Richard Tice has accused the Tories of “dirty tricks” after one of his party’s candidates withdrew his papers to stand at the last minute and endorsed former cabinet minister Sir Gavin Williamson.

- DAVID MADDOX

In a dramatic final 24 hours before nominations closed there had been fevered speculation that as many as six Tory MPs and other candidates could defect to Reform after Nigel Farage decided to stand in Clacton and become leader of the party.

But instead no Tories switched and Tom Wellings, the Reform candidate for the new seat of Stone, Great Wryly and Penkridge in Staffordshire, quit and put out a statement endorsing Sir Gavin. It all meant that Reform is understood to have fielded 611 candidates, just short of the 630 they had hoped for.

Mr Wellings said he had made his decision in the final hour before nominations closed “after careful consideration and extensive analysis” of local polling. He told local voters: “The polls indicate that Labour is close to winning the seat in our constituency. This is a matter of deep concern to me and should be to anyone who supports the policies and agenda of Reform UK.