Second Reform candidate quits and backs Tories over 'racism and misogyny'
A candidate who was running for a Reform party has now paused her campaign and switched to the Tories. She described most of the candidates in Nigel Farage's party as being discriminatory towards race, gender, and having strong prejudices.
Georgie David, who was running for the West Ham and Beckton positions, is now the second person to leave Reform UK due to allegations of racism within the party.
Stay tuned for real-time updates on the upcoming general election
The Tory party released a statement saying that they don't believe the party itself or its top leaders are racist, but they do have concerns about the racist views held by some of the candidates running to represent them.
Sharing her choice to resign, she declared: "I am officially stating that I will be leaving the Reform Party and stepping down as their candidate for West Ham and Beckton, effective immediately.
I believe firmly that the party and its top leaders are not racist.
Because most candidates have racist, misogynistic, and bigoted beliefs, I do not want to be linked with individuals who hold such opposing views to mine and what I believe in.
Even though Ms. David stated that she does not believe the issues have spread to the top members of the party, she expressed feeling very frustrated and disappointed by their inability to address this problem effectively.
She said, "They are trying to hide it or complain about it instead."
Therefore, I have decided to stop my campaign with Reform and instead support the Conservative Party. I urge all my fellow patriots to follow suit.
The news comes just two days after the Reform party candidate in Erewash switched to the Conservative party due to concerns about racism.
Liam Booth-Isherwood expressed feeling more and more disappointed with the party's actions and criticized leader Mr. Farage for not treating the situation with the seriousness it deserves.
The resignations come after the backlash surrounding Reform campaigner Andrew Parker, who was recorded making a racist comment about the prime minister during a secret investigation by Channel 4.
Reform UK has had to remove multiple election candidates due to racist comments they have made.
Make sure to use the Chrome browser when watching the video player for better accessibility.
Mr Farage has declined to say sorry, saying that the troublemakers have left his party. He also suggested that the canvasser was a "paid actor" working to damage his campaign, a claim that Channel 4 and Mr Parker both rejected.
In the video, Mr. Parker was caught using a derogatory term to refer to the prime minister, labeling Islam as a "horrible cult", and suggesting that the army should take drastic action towards migrants crossing the Channel.
Another person going door-to-door said the Pride flag is "disgusting" and insinuated that people in the LGBT community are child abusers.
Check out: Royal Mail points the finger at government for postal voting delays What is Reform UK and what do they stand for?
Reform UK also stopped supporting some candidates this past weekend because of racist comments, such as one who reportedly said that black people should stop being lazy and acting like savages.
Mr. Farage stated on Sunday that he does not want to be associated with anyone who holds racist views and denies intentionally fueling prejudice. He made these comments during an interview with Sky News.
When questioned about why his party seems to appeal to racists and extremists, the ex-UKIP leader said that by getting rid of the far-right BNP, individuals with similar views may now turn to them since they no longer have a political group to align with.
The additional contenders in the West Ham and Beckton area include:
James Edward Asser - A member of the Labour party Lois Austin - Associated with the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Emily Bigland - Affiliated with the Liberal Democrats Rob Callender - A supporter of the Green Party Sophia Naqvi - Representing the Newham Independents Party Holly Alice Ramsey - Belonging to the Conservative and Unionist Party Kayode Shedowo - Backing the Christian Peoples Alliance
