Reform UK has reported Labour to the police over a video featuring Gorton and Denton by-election candidate Matt Goodwin.
The video shows Goodwin saying: “I was lucky enough or unfortunate enough to be in Manchester a few days ago and the energy in this room is 10 times what it was in Manchester so congratulations.”
Labour took this clip to criticise the Reform candidate for subsequently running in a Manchester constituency, captioning the video “this is what Reform’s latest candidate thinks about where he’s standing to represent.”
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Reform have since reported the clip to the police citing “false statement of fact”, the Telegraph reports.
Goodwin has argued the clip had been taken out of context and was misleading. Goodwin claims his comments were directed at the Tory party conference that had taken place in Manchester, instead of the actual city itself.
Reform said in a statement: “The editing deliberately omits this reference, creating a misleading narrative that plainly is intended to influence how voters view Mr Goodwin’s character and candidacy.”
The party said this caused “serious harm” to Goodwin’s candidacy.
Goodwin claimed that Labour breached the Representation of the People’s Act 1983 which bans any “false statement of fact” against a candidate.
If Labour or a party member was found to have breached the act, they could face a maximum penalty of an unlimited fine and a three-year ban from holding elective office.
On Tuesday, Goodwin, GB News host and hard-right academic, was unveiled as Reform’s candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election, expected to take place on February 26.
Following Labour’s controversial decision to block Andy Burnham from running as their candidate, many believe the seat is now a straight race between Reform UK and the Greens.