Nigel Farage Defends Reform's Vetting After Undercover Filming of Racist Comments
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Farage Defends Reform's Vetting After Councillors Filmed Making Racist Comments
Image source: PA Media
By Becky Morton
Political reporter
Published 49 minutes ago
Warning: This report contains racist and offensive language.
Nigel Farage has defended Reform UK's vetting process, stating that while they vet candidates to a higher standard than other parties, future comments cannot be predicted or controlled.
In a recent ITV News undercover investigation, titled Undercover: A Year in Reform, councillors and candidates from Reform UK were recorded making racist, violent, and sexist remarks. One Reform councillor, Alan Feeney, who is also the deputy mayor of Solihull, was caught on camera calling Asian homeowners "parasites" and claiming that only 1% of the British population should be non-white.
Farage acknowledged the severity of the incident, referring to Feeney as "the most egregious case" in the filming. He emphasized that such remarks are not tolerated in Reform UK and that "bigots" and "extremists" are not welcome.
Despite his initial stance, Farage maintained that "you can't vet for future comments." He suggested that while background checks and social media reviews are effective, they cannot guarantee the behavior of individuals in unscripted situations.
When pressed on whether the party had an issue with its vetting practices, Farage responded, "No, not at all. We actually vet to a much higher standard than the other parties." He assured that "appropriate action" would be taken after the broadcast.
However, he added a caveat: "I'm promising you, however heavily you vet, you cannot stop what people say in the future."
The ITV investigation involved undercover reporters infiltrating Reform UK campaigns across England and Wales, leading to the exposure of these offensive remarks. The party has since stated that the individuals filmed are under investigation and have either resigned or been suspended.
Two years ago, Farage made a similar pledge to root out "bad apples" among Reform's candidates, vowing to exclude "bigots" and "extremists."