‘I’ll talk to work on Monday’: what happens when a ‘paper candidate’ actually wins

You would expect most political candidates who pull off a shock win to celebrate their victory, maybe with a glass of bubbly and excitement for the challenges of elected office ahead. But on Friday, as thousands of new councillors celebrated their triumphs, some surprise victors were less than pleased. Green party handlers apologised to one newly elected councillor in Finsbury Park, north London, put down as a “paper candidate”, who pulled off an unexpected win. “You’re going to be great, we’ll support you,” they said, according to the Islington Tribune . A paper candidate is someone who is fielded on the understanding that they are highly unlikely to win, to enable a party to appear on the ballot paper in as many places as possible. Reform UK were so keen to enlist candidates across the country that the party cold called members of the public – including a Guardian journalist – asking them to run. But this year’s local elections, which saw Labour’s worst results on record, meant many new candidates were elected. In Camden, a byelection is already on the cards after a secondary-school teacher who was elected for the Greens immediately quit as councillor because he is not allowed to hold the post while also teaching in the borough. So, what is it like to pull off a surprise win? Tyrone Scott has been a member of the Green party for 12 years. Four years ago, he was tantalisingly close to power, losing his race to become a Hackney councillor by 27 votes. …