Nigel Farage has previously stated that “bigots” and “extremists” are unwelcome in Reform UK, promising to root out the “bad apples” of his ever-growing party, stating that Reform would embark upon a “rigorous” vetting process, presumably to ensure the moral character of those representing Reform’s values. These statements have been proven to be empty.
The year-long undercover investigation into Reform UK, by ITV News, has exposed multiple Reform councillors as deeply racist and sexist. Statements made include a senior Reform councillor stating of Asian people that they should, “drag them out of their homes, stick them on planes, and f*** them off to Pakistan.” This vile language appeared to be prevalent, with Reform councillor Alan Feeney remarked that the Muslim residents of his council were “absolute parasites.” Sexist language was obviously not absent either, with Reform candidate Chris Whelan, who remarked about a female Reform candidate that “if she was my daughter, it would still be bath night on a Thursday.”
It may be unsurprising to some that those who vote Reform hold racist and sexist views, in fact I think most of us would expect it from their supporters. However what is truly shocking is how these councillors and candidates not only hold such fervently racist and sexist views, but that they express them so casually.
These are people who hold or could hold actual political power. They make real decisions over housing, planning, and resources. We absolutely cannot trust that all our politicians make decisions for all public interest when we’ve seen such ardent hatred from these councillors towards their constituents. Broader still, we clearly cannot trust that our political parties are using vetting systems that are held to any standard whatsoever.
The investigation took itself to Reform’s Westminster headquarters, where more glaring gaps in the vetting process were uncovered. A Reform councillor who was found to have registered on a Nazi dating website was allowed to remain in the party. Another conversation exposed how candidates were encouraged to delete their social media accounts and posts, in order to disguise any links to Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist.
Vetting should ensure the honesty and ethics of political candidates. The concealment of past behaviour by Reform completely undermines proper process, and risks putting people in power that have hidden unscrupulous elements of their past from voters. The clear culture of cover-ups and deception, present from the bottom to the top of the party, confirms that the basic values and morals of candidates cannot be assumed. This scandal has caused a wider concern; can we trust the values of any political candidates if Reform UK has managed to bury such heinous behaviour for so long?
“16 May 2026 Unite the Kingdom protesters – 2” by APK is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
