A supporter of Oswald Mosley. A retired individual who made derogatory remarks about Muslims. A director of a company who seemingly celebrated assaults on women. These are some of the candidates running for Reform in the local elections that have been exposed.
Just a month ago, Nigel Farage proudly spoke about the thorough vetting process of his party, but Reform has now been embarrassed by revelations. Recent investigations have uncovered a series of problematic candidates associated with Farage’s party. In late March, the leader of Reform confidently claimed that their vetting procedures were as effective, if not more so, than others. While acknowledging past failures, he expressed confidence in their current practices.
However, evidence revealed by the Mirror, in collaboration with anti-racism group Hope Not Hate (HnH), suggests otherwise. As voters prepare to cast their ballots in various council elections in England, as well as for the Senedd in Wales and Scotland’s Parliament, we highlight some of the questionable selections made by Reform.
One candidate, Stuart Prior, running in the same county as Farage’s Parliamentary seat, has been found to have made racist comments on social media. Despite denying being racist when confronted, Prior’s posts revealed discriminatory views towards different ethnic groups. Reform stated that they were investigating the matter.
Reform took action against three candidates, including George Parnell, after it was discovered that they failed to disclose their past affiliation with a proscribed organization. The investigation, conducted with HnH, uncovered these candidates’ connections to a leaked BNP list.
When questioned, Parnell initially admitted to the possibility of being a BNP member before retracting his statement. Another candidate, John Black, denied ever being a BNP member but was expelled by Reform after his name appeared on the leaked list.
Reform also expelled David Prior, who admitted to past BNP membership but claimed to have disassociated from the group long ago. Another candidate, Professor Angus Dalgleish, was scrutinized for associating Covid vaccines with cancer in members of the Royal Family. Reform distanced itself from the controversial statements made by Dalgleish.
Andrew Mahon, a Reform candidate, expressed support for fascist leaders on social media, drawing criticism from various groups. Daniel Devaney faced backlash for his anti-Muslim comments, while Emma Clatworthy was exposed for propagating Covid conspiracy theories and making disparaging remarks about the monarchy.
Despite the controversies surrounding its candidates, Reform declined to comment on specific cases. The party’s stance on these issues remains under scrutiny as the elections draw near.
