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This report includes racist and offensive language. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has maintained that his party does not have a vetting problem despite undercover footage aired by ITV News showing some Reform councillors and candidates making racist, violent, and sexist remarks. Speaking to BBC Look East, Farage defended the party’s candidate screening procedures, stating that Reform UK vets potential members “to a much higher standard than other parties.” However, he acknowledged the limits of vetting, noting, “you can’t vet for future comments.”
The undercover investigation, conducted over a year, captured recordings of eight Reform figures engaging in offensive conversations. Among those filmed was Alan Feeney, a Reform councillor and deputy mayor of Solihull, who had previously defected from the Conservative Party in 2025. Feeney was recorded describing Asian homeowners as “parasites” and expressing views that no more than 1% of the British population should be non-white. Farage identified Feeney as “the most egregious case” featured in the footage and emphasized that such remarks underline why individuals making them “are not welcome” in the party.
Beyond Feeney, the film showed other Reform figures, including candidates Jamie Campbell and Chris Whelan, making disturbing comments about local mosque construction and a female candidate. Campbell was heard making a racially charged joke involving pork chops, while Whelan and Feeney engaged in sexist comments about a colleague. Reform UK representatives confirmed that Feeney and Whelan are no longer affiliated with the party, with Feeney having “mutually agreed” to resign and continue as an independent councillor. Campbell’s remark was described by the party as “a joke in poor taste but with no malicious intent,” and the party declined to take further action against him.
Another individual featured in the investigation was Dean Miller, a councillor from the London Borough of Bromley, who made several controversial statements including claims about ethnic changes in Bromley and disparaging remarks about Muslims. Miller resigned from Reform UK and now sits as an independent, stating he was on heavy medication due to chronic pain when the comments were made. The exposure of these remarks has prompted strong reactions from political leaders across the spectrum. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called on Reform UK to take immediate and firm action against those responsible, emphasizing that “there is no place for any form of racism, antisemitism, discrimination in British politics.” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch expressed relief that people making such comments are no longer associated with the Conservative Party. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the revelations as “chilling,” and a Green Party spokesperson accused Reform UK of focusing its agenda on vilifying migrants and Muslims, reflecting the racist nature of the comments revealed
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