Reform UK campaigners caught making racist slurs

Homophobic and racist remarks allegedly made by members of Reform UK were captured by an undercover Channel 4 reporter as they worked to support Nigel Farage's bid for MP in Clacton.

Reform UK announced that individuals who make inappropriate remarks will no longer be involved in Mr. Farage's campaign.

The confidential recordings include a discussion between individuals who seem to be organizers of Reform UK.

A man connected to the party seems to have expressed homophobic views by calling a Pride flag on a police car a "degenerate flag".

"What are the police doing endorsing that rubbish?" he inquires the group.

He keeps saying that people in the LGBT+ community are attracted to children and he disapproves of police participating in Pride events.

He also mentioned that if Reform UK were to lead the government in the future, the police force would become like paramilitary forces instead of regular law enforcement officers. He also suggested bringing back the use of the noose as a form of punishment.

He also explained to a hidden journalist why Reform UK decided to run in Clacton, stating: "Take a look around, this is the real England. You know what I mean, authentic English."

He mentioned that it's different from being in London, where you feel like a stranger in your own country. If you try to greet someone, they might give you a hostile look as if they are ready to harm you.

BBC News is unable to confirm who this man is and is trying to get in touch with him.

In a recent discussion, senior advocate for Reform UK, Rob Bates, revealed that the party exceeded the legal spending limit by twice the amount during their campaign to elect Mr. Farage.

Afterwards, Mr. Bates explained to Channel 4 News that his remark was meant as a joke and made it clear that he is not in charge of campaign funds.

Reform UK stated to the show that their campaign expenses are "completely in accordance with the legal spending restrictions."

Recent video aired on Channel 4 reveals additional prejudiced remarks attributed to Andrew Parker, who is said to be a campaigner for Mr. Farage. Parker was caught using derogatory language towards Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian descent, in another incident of racism, homophobia, and Islamophobia.

Mr Parker has been heard calling Islam the "most revolting cult" and proposing that army recruits practice shooting by aiming at small boats transporting illegal migrants to the UK.

In the blog post, Mr. Parker mentions that Reform's plan involves removing all Muslims from mosques and turning them into Wetherspoons.

While campaigning, he suggests to the undercover journalist to refer to immigration as "illegal," specifically when speaking to households that are not white.

Before the video was published, Mr. Parker told Channel 4 that neither Nigel Farage nor the Reform Party knew about his thoughts on immigration.

Mr. Parker stated that he has not spoken about immigration with Nigel Farage or the Reform Party. He confirmed that any remarks he made during the recordings reflect his personal opinions on the topics discussed.

I want to sincerely apologize to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal opinions have caused any harm to their reputation. It was not my intention to tarnish their image in any way.

Addressing a crowd at a Reform UK gathering in Boston, Lincolnshire, party chief Nigel Farage admitted that the party was not flawless.

"We have had a couple of candidates who have made inappropriate remarks," he mentioned. "Usually, they are just talking like regular people."

"They don't conform to the dominant political language of Oxbridge, we get that. Sometimes, a few individuals disappoint us and we have to part ways with them."

"Consider the corruption and manipulation in the current Conservative Party, which can be likened to a global scheme of price fixing and illegal gambling."

Beside him at Hubberts Bridge Community Centre, the party's chairman, Richard Tice, said that the racist remarks were not suitable.

He stated that the information in our statement speaks for itself.

The truth is that our movement is rapidly expanding, and unfortunately, there are instances where unpaid volunteers may behave inappropriately. Rest assured, those individuals are no longer part of the team.

Peter Harris, the Campaign Manager for Reform UK in Clacton, expressed shock and dismay at the comments that were reported.

In this brief campaign, all the political parties are facing the difficulty of collaborating with numerous volunteers who may be unfamiliar to them," Mr. Harris stated.

We do not welcome anyone who has made inappropriate comments or holds controversial views in our campaign. Our goal is to represent all voters in Clacton.

The rest of the candidates running in the Clacton general election are listed on this page.

The politician Keir Starmer said the remarks were obviously racist and stated that the situation was a challenge to Nigel Farage's abilities as a leader.

Sir Keir said on BBC Breakfast that it is important for a leader to adjust their party to ensure the culture and standards are clear to all party members.

He questioned why many individuals who previously supported Reform are now being revealed in this specific manner.