Reform UK Candidate Escapes Sanction After Byelection Leaflet Omission
Matt Goodwin, the Reform UK candidate standing in the Gorton and Denton byelection, will not face any sanctions for election leaflets that were distributed without the legally required party imprint. A high court judge accepted that this omission resulted from an inadvertent printing error rather than any deliberate attempt to circumvent electoral rules.
Judge Accepts Printing Error Explanation
On Wednesday, just before the crucial byelection, Mr Justice Butcher granted relief to Goodwin and his election agent Adam Rawlinson from potential sanctions under section 167 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. This section provides an exception when breaches occur due to inadvertent error rather than bad faith.
"I'm satisfied that the omission arose from inadvertence, or some other reasonable cause of a like nature, and did not arise for want of good faith," the judge stated clearly in his ruling. He emphasized that the error occurred during the production phase when the printing company changed the font size, which accidentally removed the statutory imprint from the final version.
Details of the Printing Mistake
The court heard that approximately 81,000 leaflets had been sent to voters in the constituency from what appeared to be a "concerned neighbour," without indicating they had been funded and distributed by Reform UK. Under electoral law, all election material must include the name and address of those promoting the document, with potential penalties including a £5,000 fine and three-year disqualification from elective office for violations.
Reform's barrister Adam Richardson explained to the court that the omission resulted from what he described as an "honest administrative error" by Hardings Print Solutions, the London-based company responsible for printing and distributing the leaflets. Richardson confirmed that proofs sent to the printers had included the proper imprint stating the material was distributed on behalf of Goodwin and Reform UK.
Font Change Caused Critical Omission
Rawlinson provided detailed testimony explaining how the error occurred. "For reasons known only to themselves, Hardings decided to put on a different font at the last minute," he told the court. "Had they [Goodwin and Rawlinson] known that was going to take place, they would have prevented it."
The election agent further explained that draft versions exchanged between Goodwin's team and the printing company had all included the imprint and had been checked "in the usual way multiple times." When Hardings changed to a larger font size, this technical adjustment caused the statutory imprint to be truncated from the bottom of the document without anyone noticing until after distribution.
Judge's Assessment of Responsibility
Justice Butcher noted that the font change "was neither requested nor desired from the claimants" and expressed satisfaction that Goodwin and Rawlinson had taken "appropriate steps to put it right" once they became aware of the problem. The judge accepted that Hardings Print Solutions had "publicly admitted full responsibility for the production error" and that the candidates had acted in good faith throughout the process.
The leaflet in question featured an open letter from 74-year-old Patricia Clegg, who explained her decision to switch support from Labour to Reform UK. Lawyers representing the acting returning officer attended the hearing but made no representations regarding the case.
This ruling comes at a critical moment in British politics, as Reform UK seeks to establish itself as a significant force in upcoming elections. The decision highlights the technical complexities of election campaigning and the importance of proper oversight in political communications.
