Undercover Investigation Exposes Racist and Offensive Remarks by Reform UK Councillors

Warning: This report contains racist and offensive language.

Reform UK has stated that “there is no room for racism” within its party following the broadcast of an ITV News undercover investigation. The filming, conducted over more than a year, captured several of the party’s councillors and candidates using racist, violent, and sexist language.

In the documentary, Undercover: A Year in Reform, a Reform councillor and deputy mayor of Solihull was recorded referring to Asian homeowners as “parasites.” The revelations come just months after Reform leader Nigel Farage vowed to root out what he termed “bad apples” from the party’s ranks.

A Reform spokesperson stated that investigations have been launched where members, activists, or councillors have acted inappropriately, leading to suspensions in certain cases. The spokesperson noted that while the party has enhanced its vetting procedures, some individuals who do not align with its values occasionally bypass these safeguards.

The ITV investigation involved undercover reporters embedding with Reform UK candidates and councillors across England and Wales in the lead-up to the May elections and during four by-election campaigns over the past year and a half. The footage features eight individuals within the party, all of whom are now under investigation and have either resigned or been suspended.

The undercover reporters joined Alan Feeney, a Reform councillor and deputy mayor of Solihull, who was campaigning to retain his seat after defecting from the Conservative Party in 2025. In the footage, Feeney describes the area as being “infested” with Asian families, calling them “absolute parasites.” He is also heard stating that the non-white population in Britain should not exceed 1%.

On another occasion, Feeney is joined by two other Reform candidates, Jamie Campbell and Chris Whelan, to discuss rumors of a local mosque construction. Campbell is recorded suggesting a way to stop the project: “go and buy some pork chops; we’ll bury it in the ground.” Whelan suggests taking pictures of the site, to which Feeney remarks, “Unfortunately, this is a pig cemetery, mate.”

Additionally, when discussing a female Reform candidate from Birmingham, Feeney remarks, “I didn’t know where to look,” while Whelan comments, “I’d have been sniffing that seat as soon as she got up.”

Following the broadcast, ITV reported that Feeney had “mutually agreed” to resign from Reform UK, citing personal reasons, and would continue as an independent councillor. Whelan, who did not respond to requests for comment, was also reported to be sitting as an independent. The BBC has contacted both Whelan and Campbell for their response.

Elsewhere in the documentary, Dean Miller, a councillor in the south London borough of Bromley, was filmed campaigning for Reform in the Makerfield by-election. He tells an undercover reporter that London has been “ethnically cleansed” and remarks on the large Nigerian communities in Bromley. While claiming “not racist,” Miller goes on to make derogatory remarks about Muslims, calling them traitorous.

ITV reported that Miller has resigned from Reform and will sit as an independent, stating in a response that he was heavily medicated due to a chronic pain condition when the comments were made. The BBC has contacted Miller for comment.

In a post-broadcast statement, Reform UK acknowledged that while the party has improved and prioritized its vetting procedures, “a handful of individuals who do not share our values will initially make it through vetting.”

The political fallout was swift, with the Labour Party describing the revelations as “truly sickening,” arguing that Nigel Farage cannot dismiss these findings as the actions of a few “bad apples.” The Conservative Party criticized Farage’s promise to prepare Reform for government, stating these individuals prove his failure. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called the footage “chilling,” expressing concern over the racism and hatred festering in communities. A Green Party spokesman asserted that vilifying migrants and Muslims is a central focus of Reform, suggesting these comments reflect party policy.

Source link