Wiltshire Reform candidate denies false nomination rumours

The Chippenham reform candidate has denied it is fake after concerns were raised about its legitimacy.

Benjamin Ginsburg said the rumors were “ridiculous”, insisting he had hoped to win in Chippenham and would have represented the area in parliament “if needed”.

He has been the subject of online speculation in Wiltshire after Reform faced pressure to prove its parliamentary candidates were all real people.

Mr. Ginsburg declined to comment when asked why he did not attend the count on Thursday, July 4.

Image of Benjamin Ginsburg provided by Reform website. (Image: Reform UK)

As for his absence from the hustings during the campaign, he said he did not receive the email invitations because he did not yet have the password for his Reform inbox.

Mr. Ginsburg is a student in Brighton and reports that he applied to become a candidate before the election was called.

He explained: “I’ve always been interested in politics and decided to join Reform about a year ago, I think.”

He added: “They needed candidates in Wiltshire and the South West and it just so happened that when the election was called I was available at the time.”

He noted that Reform had experienced “problems with candidates dropping out” and that there had been no time to vet anyone else for the Chippenham seat.

In May 2024, The Guardian reported that in 110 seats reform candidates had dropped or changed since January 2024.

The speculation surrounding Mr. Ginsburg comes as questions have been raised about the legitimacy of other reform candidates.

Clapham and Brixton Hill candidate Mark Matlock has been the subject of recent rumors after he was not seen on the campaign trail and a photo of him appeared to be AI-generated.

Although he admitted editing the photo, he made an appearance on GB news to confirm his identity.

It was also revealed that Bristol South candidate Richard Visick’s address was in Gibraltar on official nomination forms.

Other candidates, such as those in Glasgow North and South Dorset, raised suspicions when it appeared they had not campaigned before the election or provided any contact details.

Regarding his lack of online presence, Mr. Ginsburg concluded: “I’m not really an online person, I’m interested in politics and I’m very involved in it, but I don’t feel the need to broadcast every thought that I have. Ever think 24/7 like some people.

“I think the whole thing is a bit silly, really.”

Although The Guardian reports the party accepted some were “paper candidates”, a Reform source said all candidates were “categorically real”, while party chairman Richard Tice said the speculation was “absurd”.