Reform UK says there is 'no room for racism' in party after undercover investigation

Reform UK has said there is "no room for racism" in the party after a damning undercover investigation into the party,

The footage appeared to show candidates for the party making graphic threats of extreme violence and expressing racist and misogynistic views.

In one excerpt from the ITV News investigation, black children were referred to as "animals", while in another, a Reform member said his area had become "infested" with Asian families.

Reform UK sources suggested the people involved had either been suspended or left the party.

In response, a Reform UK spokesman said the party had "improved and prioritised its vetting procedures, but from time to time a handful of individuals who do not share our values" have made it through their checks.

The spokesman added: “This is the same for all organisations.

"However good the vetting, one cannot vet a future comment, especially in circumstances where an individual is entrapped in a discussion with an undercover reporter.

“There is no room for racism in Reform UK.”

In the footage, Alan Feeney, a Reform councillor and deputy mayor of Solihull, was filmed saying, "no more than one per cent of [the] British population can be non-white".

Councillor Feeney said: "If it's an Asian name, I'm not even knocking at the door; they’re not voting Reform, and I ain’t wasting my time", dubbing his approach to campaigning "Alan’s racist canvassing".

Speaking of British Muslims, Councillor Feeney said: "They're in our judiciary, they're in our schools, they're in our healthcare, they're everywhere, and they are not working on our side; they're against us"

He added: "When a house comes up for sale, white people need to be in there...You almost need to out-Muslim the Muslims.

"You'd need a proper nuclear option, like literally drag them at their homes, stick them on planes and f*** them off to Pakistan. Which you’ll never do in a month of Sundays."

He has announced that he has left Nigel Farage's party "for personal reasons".

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Elsewhere, Dean Miller, a Reform Councillor in Bromley, South London, was in Makerfield campaigning for the party ahead of the by-election.

In the footage, he appeared to claim that King Charles is secretly a Muslim, adding: "The Muslim thing is going to be that thing that takes over everything and then everyone just has one religion.

"Apparently King Charles is a f****** Muslim. Someone from the inside saw a f****** prayer mat and all that in one of his f****** rooms. I think that's f****** traitorous. Cut the c ***'s head off, sorry."

In another recording, Councillor Miller claimed: “We've been ethnically cleansed out of London. Because you never used to get any blacks over in Bromley, and now Bromley [has] massive Nigerian communities there".

Councillor Miller told ITV News he was heavily medicated at the time due to a chronic pain condition, and he has now resigned from Nigel Farage's party.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the report as "chilling", adding: "I feel for anyone watching this tonight who is frightened to see such racism and hatred festering in their community.

"It’s the very worst of what we’re seeing in Trump’s America. We can’t let it become Farage’s Britain."

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "Nigel Farage promised to make Reform ready for government.

"These sorry individuals are proof he has failed."

Ms Phillipson said Mr Farage had to kick anyone found to have made such “despicable” comments out of the party, adding: "The extreme racism and appalling behaviour exposed by this investigation is truly sickening.

“Nigel Farage can’t shrug these latest revelations off as being a few bad apples.

“Every Reform councillor, council candidate or party member found to have made such despicable comments must be thrown out of Reform UK immediately.

“Nigel Farage needs to explain why this keeps happening in his party and why he is failing to deal with blatant racism among those who stand for public office with his backing.

“It’s clear that Farage and his party are determined to poison our politics and threaten the shared British values Labour will always proudly defend.”