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Reform faces criticism after councillors filmed making racist comments - Published Warning: This report contains racist and offensive language. Reform UK has said "there is no room for racism" in its party after ITV News broadcast undercover filming, gathered over a year, of some of its councillors and candidates using racist, violent and sexist language. In the film, Undercover: A Year in Reform,, external a Reform councillor and deputy mayor of Solihull is recorded calling Asian homeowners "parasites". Labour described the investigation as "truly sickening" adding: "Nigel Farage can't shrug these latest revelations off as being a few bad apples." A Reform spokesman said: "Where members, activists and councillors have clearly behaved inappropriately, investigations have commenced" and that in some cases there had been suspensions. The spokesman added that the party had improved its procedures but some individuals who did not share their values would occasionally make it through vetting. ITV's filming involved eight figures in Reform – the BBC does not know how many it spoke to in total. Reform says the people filmed by ITV are all under investigation, and have already either resigned or been suspended. ITV News says it had reporters undercover with Reform UK candidates and councillors across England and Wales running up to the elections in May and four by-election campaigns this year and last. These reporters joined a Reform councillor, Alan Feeney, in Solihull, in the West Midlands, where he was campaigning to retain his seat on the council, having defected from the Conservative Party in 2025. He told undercover reporters the area has been "infested" with Asian families, and called them "absolute parasites". Later in the film, he is recorded saying: "I'd be saying no more than one per cent of British population can be non-white." The BBC has tried to contact Feeney for a response. ITV has reported that on Monday evening he had "mutually agreed" to resign from Reform UK, citing "personal reasons," and would be continuing as an independent councillor. Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has repeatedly said he wants to get rid of those he has called "bad apples." Two years ago he said he didn't want Reform to be "a sectarian or racially based party in any way at all". "I'm going to be absolutely ruthless about it," he said. In a statement released after ITV's film was broadcast, Reform 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 will initially make it through vetting". The Conservatives said: "Nigel Farage promised to make Reform ready for government. These sorry individuals are proof he has failed." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "This is chilling. I feel for anyone watching this tonight who is frightened to see such racism and hatred festering in their community." A Green Party spokesman said: "Vilifying migrants and Muslims is Reform's main focus, and these racist comments reflect party policy." - Bigots not welcome in Reform UK, says Nigel Farage - Published20 September 2024 - Reform candidate defects to Tories over racism row - Published30 June 2024 Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
document fetched 2026-10-15 02:59 · canonical https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw3dj458re1vo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss