Reform UK has disavowed three candidates after a Channel 4 expose uncovered racially insensitive and derogatory comments. The fallout includes condemnation from political figures and a dispute with the media.
Reform UK has withdrawn support for three of its candidates following a Channel 4 investigation revealing offensive remarks. Candidates Edward Oakenfull, Robert Lomas, and Leslie Lilley will remain on the ballot but are no longer officially endorsed by the party.
Oakenfull was found to have made derogatory comments about the IQ of sub-Saharan Africans on social media, while Lilley described people arriving on small boats as “scum.” Lomas criticized black people using offensive language.
The investigation involved an undercover report on activists for Nigel Farage’s bid for a parliamentary seat. One activist, Andrew Parker, used a racial slur against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, alleging migrants should be used as “target practice.” Another described the Pride flag as “degenerate” and made offensive comments about the LGBT community.
Reform UK has reported Channel 4 to the Electoral Commission, claiming Parker was used as a “plant” to damage the party’s reputation. Channel 4 has denied any prior knowledge or payment to Parker.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and security minister Tom Tugendhat condemned the remarks, with Starmer criticizing Farage’s leadership. Farage, in turn, accused the BBC of bias, claiming their Question Time audience was “rigged.” The BBC refuted these claims.
Prime Minister Sunak expressed concern about the impact of such remarks on his family, emphasizing his daughters’ potential exposure to the racial slur. Starmer expressed solidarity with Sunak’s response.
In a separate issue, both Sunak and Starmer addressed single-sex spaces, with Sunak advocating for the protection of female-only spaces by defining sex as biological in the Equality Act, while Starmer emphasized treating all individuals with dignity and respect.
