Reform UK suspends activist over Islam remarks as undercover film exposes vetting failures

An undercover investigation into Reform UK has released a series of reports showing elected councillors and election candidates making racist, Islamophobic and misogynistic remarks, alongside evidence of weaknesses in the party's vetting process. The disclosures have led to resignations, suspensions and internal investigations, and have drawn condemnation from other parties. Reform UK says there is no room for racism in the party and that it has improved vetting, but critics say the footage shows a wider problem.

The first broadcasts centred on Solihull, where Councillor Alan Feeney was recorded calling Asian families 'parasites', saying Muslims should be 'dragged' from their homes and put on planes to Pakistan, and calling for no more than 1% of the British population to be non-white. Feeney, who had defected from the Conservatives and became deputy mayor of Solihull, resigned from Reform UK and later from his council seat. He apologised unreservedly and said the comments did not reflect his true beliefs. Two other Solihull figures, Chris Whelan and Jamie Campbell, were also recorded. Whelan made racist and sexually explicit remarks and resigned as a councillor. Campbell was recorded suggesting pork chops could be buried to stop a mosque being built; he apologised for any offence and denied being racist. Reports said several of the councillors featured remained in post and in the party.

Further disclosures named Martin Roberts, a former Reform treasurer in Pontypridd, who used racial slurs and later said he had tried to be humorous and informal but regretted the language. Dean Miller, a Reform councillor in Bromley, was recorded saying London had been 'ethnically cleansed' and making other extreme comments; he said he was heavily medicated at the time and resigned from the party. In West London, Hounslow councillors were recorded discussing concealing controversial views from voters until elected. Two were later investigated over comments about grooming gangs, including calls to line perpetrators up and machine gun them down, and one reportedly spoke of 'rose garden executions'.

The investigation also reported on vetting failures. An aspiring MP, Jason Powell, was recorded saying Muslims could not be British and calling for concentration camps for people arriving by small boats. He was suspended pending an investigation. Alex Lomas said he failed Reform's vetting twice, including over offensive language and a Tommy Robinson post, but was later invited to stand in Oldham. A local party figure was recorded advising a potential candidate to delete social media posts supportive of Tommy Robinson. Reform's mayoral candidate Chris Parry was not immediately sacked over comments that David Lammy should go home to the Caribbean; Nigel Farage said he should apologise, while the party's communications director later said Parry should have been dismissed. Another councillor, Gavin Beals, was reported to have been registered on a white supremacist dating site; Reform did not suspend him because he said the link was inadvertent.

Senior figures were also caught on camera. Reform MP Sarah Pochin was recorded saying the party was 'chauvinistic' and needed more women press officers. Board member Gawain Towler admitted he was 'racist every single day' as a schoolboy, said he was appalled by his younger views, and stressed he had no direct knowledge of allegations about Nigel Farage at school. Reform's London mayoral candidate said he was angry at the councillors in the report and furious that they had been allowed near the party.

Nigel Farage has said anyone making hateful comments is not welcome in Reform UK, but he has also argued that parties cannot vet people for what they may say in the future and that Reform is singled out by the establishment. Reform UK said where members, activists and councillors have behaved inappropriately, investigations have commenced, with suspensions in some cases. It said vetting has been improved and prioritised, but that a handful of unsuitable individuals may still get through. The Prime Minister and other party leaders condemned the remarks. Labour called them sickening, the Conservatives said they showed Reform is not ready for government, and the Liberal Democrats described the footage as chilling. The full documentary is due to be broadcast on Sunday evening.