So began a frantic attempt by Ducourtieux, who writes for left-leaning daily Le Monde, to stop Nigel Farage\u2019s<\/a> insurgent right-wing party from mistakenly registering her as a candidate in this week\u2019s English local elections.<\/p>\n She says the saga started in late March, when an official from Reform randomly called to ask if she would stand in London as a \u201cpaper candidate\u201d \u2013 named on the ballot paper, but in an area where the party would do little campaigning and didn\u2019t expect to win.<\/p>\n The deadline to register candidates was April 9th. Farage had previously spoken publicly about the challenge of finding up to 5,000 candidates<\/a> for local elections in much of England<\/a> and devolved parliamentary votes in Wales <\/a>and Scotland <\/a>the same day. <\/p>\n The Reform caller asked Ducourtieux if she had a criminal record or if she had ever been made bankrupt. She says she spoke to him out of curiosity for a few minutes, but at no stage did she say anything that might give the impression she would run for Reform.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I had made myself clear and the matter was closed,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n A couple of days later, the email arrived.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was April 1st and I found it funny at first. But it was actually very serious. I panicked. I really did not want anything to do with Reform,\u201d says Ducourtieux.<\/p>\n The subject heading of the message, seen by The Irish Times, said \u201capplication received\u201d. It was sent to Ducourtieux\u2019s Le Monde work email address.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you very much for putting yourself forward,\u201d it said. <\/p>\n Reform said Ducourtieux\u2019s local branch \u2013 she lives in Kilburn in northwest London<\/a>, in the area of Camden borough council \u2013 would be in touch. The email came from a \u201cno reply\u201d Reform address.<\/p>\n Ducourtieux called back the official who had rung her days earlier. She got no answer and left a voicemail. She says she contacted the party\u2019s press office, and also the team of a Reform UK London Assembly member that she knew through her work as a journalist.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease excuse my colleagues. I notified them of the error. It will be rectified,\u201d the staffer assured Ducourtieux.<\/p>\n A week later, she received another call from a Reform official, a woman this time, who pressed her to be a paper candidate to help stymie votes in the capital for the Green Party, which is expected to do well in the city in this week\u2019s local elections.<\/p>\n![\"Cécile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FHCJ3UHWV5FM3MC44FQDWYV4HU.jpg\")
C\u00e9cile Ducourtieux: \u2018I panicked. I really did not want anything to do with Reform.\u2019 Photograph: Public S\u00e9nat <\/p>\n