Reform UK’s candidate in the Blackpool South byelection has denied any wrongdoing after the Charity Commission launched a probe into allegations that the soup kitchen he founded was used to promote his campaign.
Mark Butcher, who is standing for the party in next week’s election, posted a Facebook message this month which said that the campaign would be starting at the kitchen, Amazing Graze. He was later pictured shaking hands with the Reform leader, Richard Tice, at the premises and appeared there in a Channel 4 News report, in which Reform UK election material could be seen.
Charities cannot support a political candidate or party under regulations. The Charity Commission has not opened a statutory inquiry into the charity, which also provides food parcels for people in need. Butcher had previously run as an independent and has a strong local profile on the back of his charity work.
A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We have an active compliance case into Amazing Graze to assess concerns raised about support for a political candidate, and are engaging with the trustees.”
Butcher blamed political opponents for making complaints that triggered the probe – first reported by the Lead – and told the Guardian he was sure it would find that no rules were breached.
He said: “The room was rented to Reform, so it’s a non-starter. The room is rented out all the time. If any one else or any other political party wanted to rent it then I’m sure the board would be interested.
“The charity never endorsed me once, and you can see that evidence quite clearly on the Facebook page.”
Butcher, a former businessman, said he was “100% sure” that the complaint to the Charity Commission had come from political opponents. The byelection on 2 May has been triggered by the resignation of the former Conservative MP Scott Benton.
“They are worried and concerned about me and so they are coming out with all the dirty tricks. They are frightened of us and it is because we are capturing the attention of our town,” Butcher said.
