Richard Tice criticises Reform UK AI candidate suggestion

The party won five seats in the House of Commons, with Mr Tice among them, earning victory in the seat of Boston and Skegness.

Since the election results concerns were raised about one of the party's candidates being an AI (artificial intelligence) creation.

Mark Matlock who stood in the Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency, was not spotted on the campaign trail or at any of the local hustings for the election.

.@susannareid100 questions Chairman of Reform UK Richard Tice about Mark Matlock's election photo appearing like it had been AI-generated.

Mr Tice calls the claims 'pathetic.' pic.twitter.com/dg9aTrMqQY

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) July 10, 2024

Additionally, his campaign material also featured an image that appeared to be AI-generated, leading some observers to question whether he was a real person.

Mr Matlock is in fact not an AI creation, and missed the results being announced as he was in hospital with pneumonia.

Speaking to The Guardian on why his campaign image looked so strange, he said: "The image is me. Stupidly I had to get it altered to change my tie and suit as I couldn’t get to a photographer on time.”

Mr Tice appeared on Good Morning Britain (GMB) today (Wednesday, July 10) and criticised the emergence of the story.

Richard Tice slams Reform UK AI candidate questioning

Speaking to presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on the ITV morning show, Mr Tice said it was an "absurd suggestion".

He added: "All you had to do was look at his Twitter feed, I'm sorry this is the lefties who can't believe we did so well and they still permeate nonsense and lies".

Mr Tice made reference to the fact Mr Matlock posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he was going to miss the count in Clapham and Brixton Hill due to being in hospital with pneumonia.

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He described it as "pathetic" and that people were "jealous because we did so well and we got more votes than the Lib Dems."

GMB also brought up a post Mr Matlock made on X regarding the initial discussion on whether he was real which read: "To all those people on Reddit wondering if I’m real or if Reform has fake candidates? Keep smoking the crack pipe and wondering what sexuality you are. How do you think anyone could be nominated if you don’t exist? Do you people know anything about anything?"

Mr Tice defended it saying "it's called a sense of humour" and that "it's what happens down the pub".