The Reform UK vetting system appears to have suffered another glitch, but not the usual type where nutjob extremists are given a clean bill of health to stand as election candidates.
In this case, Reform has selected a man officially listed as a serving officer in UKIP as a council election candidate.
Nick Wood is a university lecturer who had been a UKIP member for more than ten years. But it would be unfair to call him a nutjob or extremist.
He had been a candidate for UKIP in last years’ general election and on several other previous occasions, but he thought he had left the party in late 2024.
Immoral antics
His intended departure was, apparently, in disgust at what he saw as the “immoral” antics of Chairman Ben ‘Rogue Builder’ Walker and Leader Nick ‘The Kick’ Tenconi.
Walker was accused by former Deputy leader Rebecca Jane of appointing her to the post solely because “he wanted to get me into bed”
Then, highly-explicit ‘adult contact’ online posts apparently from Tenconi were made public.
However, although he thought he’d left, in January Wood was adopted by the UKIP NEC as a parliamentary election candidate for the next election.
Dubious honour
Mr Wood appeared not to know that this dubious honour had been bestowed upon him, and expressed surprise when told about it at a Reform UK members-only meeting at Sandown on 10 January.
But it didn’t end there.
Now he has officially been adopted by Reform as its candidate in the Hinchley Wood, Claygate & Oxshott division of Surrey County Council on 21 August.
The problem is, UKIP are still claiming him as one of their own.
Records at the Electoral Commission show that as, of today, he is still listed as the ‘second officer’ in the Surrey ‘accounting unit’ (branch).
For someone whose sense of probity led him to quit UKIP, this will be especially galling.
Expect angry communication with UKIP HQ…
