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Reform UK has withdrawn support from three of its parliamentary candidates as the party is caught up in a deepening racism row.
The party, spearheaded by Nigel Farage, is no longer endorsing Edward Oakenfull, who is standing in Derbyshire Dales, Robert Lomas, a candidate in Barnsley North, and Leslie Lilley, standing in Southend East and Rochford after alleged comments made by the three candidates emerged in the media.
It comes as Reform has said it has reported Channel 4 to the Electoral Commission, after the broadcaster released footage of an activist campaigning for Mr Farage using a racial slur to describe Rishi Sunak.
Andrew Parker was exposed referring to Rishi Sunak as a “f****** p***” in a Channel 4 investigation.
In a letter to the Electoral Commission, the party’s secretary Adam Richardson claimed that it was “entirely evident that Mr Parker was a plant within the Channel 4 news piece”.
He added: “The Channel 4 broadcast has clearly been made to harm Reform UK during an election period and this cannot be described as anything short of election interference.”
Key Points
- Reform UK withdraws support from three candidates
- Reform reports Channel 4 to Electoral Commission claiming race row canvasser was 'plant'
- Starmer blames Farage ‘lack of leadership’ for Reform racism storm
- Police ‘urgently assessing’ racist and homophobic comments made by Andrew Parker
- Sunak ‘hurt and angry’ by Reform canvasser’s racist slur
- Reform activist denies being racist as he has ‘Pakistani friends'
Reform UK withdraws support from three candidates
Reform UK has withdrawn support from three of its parliamentary candidates.
The party, spearheaded by Nigel Farage, is no longer endorsing Edward Oakenfull, who is standing in Derbyshire Dales, Robert Lomas, a candidate in Barnsley North, and Leslie Lilley, standing in Southend East and Rochford.
The announcement was made after alleged comments made by the three candidates emerged in the media.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 June 2024 16:40 1719675032Reform campaigner ‘glad’ party reported Channel 4 to Electoral Commission
Reform UK campaigner Andrew Parker said he was “glad” that the party had reported Channel 4 to the Electoral Commission, after the broadcaster released footage of him using a racial slur to describe Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Reform UK’s secretary Adam Richardson has claimed that Mr Parker “was a plant” in the Channel 4 footage which was recorded by an undercover journalist.
In a letter to the Electoral Commission, Mr Richardson said: “We request an immediate investigation into both Mr Parker and Channel 4 News, including any production houses that might have been used to create the piece.”
When he was told that Reform UK had reported Channel 4 to the Electoral Commission, Mr Parker said: “Good, I’m glad.”
He declined to say whether he had been paid by Channel 4 to appear in the footage, instead telling the PA news agency that “it’ll all come out in the papers, what’ll come out is the truth”.
Mr Parker declined to comment further.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 June 2024 16:30 1719673202Sunak reveals anger as daughters forced to hear Reform activist call him racist slur
Rishi Sunak took the gloves off in his fight with Reform UK on Friday, revealing his hurt and anger after his daughters were exposed to their father being called a P*** by a canvasser for Nigel Farage’s party.
Andrew Parker was caught using the racial slur while canvassing in Clacton, Essex, where Mr Farage is standing to be an MP.
Mr Parker, who was filmed as part of an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News, said: “I’ve always been a Tory voter. But what annoys me is that f***ing P*** we’ve got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. He’s just wet. F***ing useless.”
Sunak reveals anger as daughters forced to hear Reform activist call him racist slur
Andrew Parker was caught using the racial slur while canvassing for Reform UK in Clacton, Essex, where Nigel Farage is standing to be an MP
Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 June 2024 16:00 1719671702What happened this week in the UK election campaign, from more betting slips to the last debate
The U.K. general election on July 4 is just days away now, no doubt to the relief of the party leaders who have crisscrossed the country in a grueling month of campaigning.
This campaign doesn’t seem to have shifted the political dial much, if at all, with the left-of-center Labour Party still the clear favorite to defeat the Conservatives of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and return to power for the first time in 14 years.
If the polls are broadly accurate — and even the Tories have acknowledged their likely defeat — then Labour leader Keir Starmer will at some point on July 5 be driven to meet King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in order to get the go-ahead to form a government.
What happened this week in the UK election campaign, from more betting slips to the last debate
The U.K. general election on July 4 is just days away now no doubt to the relief of the party leaders who have crisscrossed the country in a grueling month of campaigning
Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 June 2024 15:35 1719670330The day Rishi Sunak’s gloves came off
Rishi Sunak expected to spend the day talking about how he was fighting but fighting for every vote, with less than a week to go before the election.
Instead, he came out fighting against Nigel Farage.
The normally cerebral prime minister was clearly emotional as he talked about the hurt and anger he felt after a Reform activist used racial slurs against him.
The day Rishi Sunak’s gloves came off
The Conservative leader was all smiles in a primary school classroom - but let his anger be known when talking about racist slurs by an activist for Nigel Farage’s Reform
Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 June 2024 15:12 1719669264Reform reports Channel 4 to Electoral Commission claiming race row canvasser was 'plant'
Reform UK has said it has reported Channel 4 to the Electoral Commission, after the broadcaster released footage of an activist campaigning for Nigel Farage using a racial slur to describe Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Campaigner Andrew Parker also suggested migrants should be used as “target practice” in the recording by an undercover journalist.
In a letter to the Electoral Commission, the party’s secretary Adam Richardson claimed that it was “entirely evident that Mr Parker was a plant within the Channel 4 news piece”.
He added: “The Channel 4 broadcast has clearly been made to harm Reform UK during an election period and this cannot be described as anything short of election interference.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 June 2024 14:54 1719667525Watch: Reform has real pattern of racist and misogynistic views, says security minister
Most expensive purchase and the music that makes him cry: Keir Starmer’s quickfire Q&A
Most expensive purchase to music that makes him cry: Keir Starmer’s quickfire Q&A
As the Labour leader sat down with The Independent, we put him on the spot on topics from his greatest regret to his biggest heroes – and everything in between
Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 June 2024 14:06 1719663585Reform activist filmed making slur about Sunak denies being racist because he has ‘had Muslim girlfriends’
A Reform UK activist filmed making a racial slur about prime minister Rishi Sunak claims he cannot be racist as “he has had Muslim girlfriends”.
Andrew Parker was recorded by a Channel 4 undercover reporter saying army recruits should use migrants arriving by small boats in Kent as “target practice”, and labelling Islam a “disgusting cult” in widely condemned comments.
Read more from Joe Middleton here:
Reform activist who used slur says he can’t be racist ‘as he had Muslim girlfriends’
Andrew Parker had said army recruits should use migrants arriving by small boats in Kent as “target practice”, and labelled Islam a ‘disgusting cult’ in widely condemned comments
Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 June 2024 13:19 1719662013Starmer shares Sunak’s ‘digust’ at racial slur made by Reform UK campaigner
Sir Keir Starmer said he shared Rishi Sunak’s disgust after a Reform UK campaigner used a racial slur to describe the prime minister.
The Labour leader accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of not doing enough following the incident, and added that it is the leader who sets the “tone, the culture and the standards” of a political party.
Speaking to reporters in the South East of England, he said: “I don’t think (Nigel Farage) has shown the leadership he should’ve shown. There’s no good condemning remarks after the event.
“If you lead a party you set the tone, and the culture, and the standards of your party, and I don’t think he’s done enough in terms of leadership.”
Asked if he sympathises with the Prime Minister following the racial slur, Sir Keir said: “I do, and I thought what he said about his daughters in particular was very powerful.
“And I’m glad he said it and I share his disgust at the comments that were made.”
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