A Reform UK activist in the constituency where Nigel Farage is standing has been secretly filmed making extremely racist comments about Rishi Sunak, as well as using Islamophobic and other offensive language.
Farage said he was “dismayed” by the views expressed by Andrew Parker, a Reform canvasser, who was filmed as part of an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News.
The channel also secretly filmed George Jones, a longtime party activist who organises events for Farage, making homophobic comments, calling the Pride flag “degenerate” and LGBT people “nonces”.
The emergence of the footage, filming of which concluded last week, comes on the same day that Reform dropped an election candidate in another seat, after the Guardian informed the party that Raymond Saint had been on a list of members of the British National party.
I suppose this is the challenges for Reform. UKIP seemed to get a pass on much of its crankiness by being seen as a largely single issue protest party.
But now Breixt it is “done” and Reform has to present itself as a fully formed alternative to the traditional parties of governance. Which it turn means it will be under much greater scrutiny, and really challenge the appeal of the party outside it’s core.