Reform UK vows no room for racism after ITV undercover probe . hyn

Reform UK has said there is no room for racism in the party after an ITV News undercover investigation showed candidates and members using racist and misogynistic language and making graphic threats of extreme violence. In excerpts from the footage, black children were referred to as animals and a Reform member said his area had become infested with Asian families. Reform UK sources indicated those involved had either been suspended or left the party.

A Reform UK spokesman said the party had improved and prioritised its vetting procedures, but from time to time a handful of individuals who do not share our values had made it through the checks. He said that was the same for all organisations, that one cannot vet a future comment especially where an individual is entrapped in discussion with an undercover reporter, and that there is no room for racism in Reform UK. Alan Feeney, a Reform councillor and deputy mayor of Solihull, was filmed saying no more than one per cent of the British population can be non-white.

He said if it was an Asian name he was not even knocking at the door, calling his approach Alan’s racist canvassing. Speaking of British Muslims he said they were in the judiciary, schools and healthcare and not working on our side. He spoke of white people needing to be in when a house came up for sale and of a nuclear option of dragging people from homes and putting them on planes to Pakistan.

He has announced he has left Nigel Farage’s party for personal reasons. Dean Miller, a Reform councillor in Bromley, South London, was filmed in Makerfield campaigning ahead of the by-election. He appeared to claim King Charles is secretly a Muslim, spoke of a prayer mat in a room, called that traitorous and used violent language about cutting a head off.

In another recording he claimed London had been ethnically cleansed and spoke of massive Nigerian communities in Bromley.

Reform UK Vows There Is No Room for Racism After ITV Undercover Probe

Reform UK has insisted that there is “no room for racism” within its ranks after an undercover ITV investigation exposed party councillors and candidates making racist, Islamophobic, misogynistic and violent remarks. The revelations have placed Nigel Farage under renewed pressure to explain how individuals with such views were allowed to represent his party, despite repeated promises to improve candidate vetting and remove extremists.

The investigation, conducted over the course of a year, recorded Reform representatives during local election campaigning and revealed disturbing comments about ethnic minorities, Muslims, women and political opponents. The party says it has launched investigations, suspended some individuals and strengthened its vetting procedures. However, the controversy has raised broader questions about accountability, political leadership and whether the party’s safeguards are sufficient.

As the footage continues to attract attention, Farage faces the challenge of demonstrating that his stated opposition to racism is reflected in the way Reform selects candidates and deals with misconduct.

ITV’s investigation puts Reform under pressure

ITV News published its initial findings on October 14, 2026, after reporters went undercover with Reform UK candidates and councillors across England and Wales. The investigation included footage recorded during local elections in May and several by-election campaigns in 2025 and 2026.

Among those filmed was Alan Feeney, a Reform councillor in Solihull, who made derogatory remarks about Asian residents. Other footage showed party representatives expressing hostility towards Muslims and making offensive comments about Black children. Some individuals also made remarks involving violence and sexual misconduct.

The revelations prompted criticism from across the political spectrum and renewed scrutiny of the party’s candidate selection process.

According to ITV, the investigation did not simply document offensive language. It also examined how the party responded to concerns about candidates and whether individuals with controversial backgrounds could pass through its vetting procedures.

The findings are particularly significant because Reform has expanded its presence in local government. As the party seeks to establish itself as a serious national political force, the conduct of its elected representatives has become an increasingly important test of its internal standards.

Read the ITV News investigation into Reform UK candidates and councillors.

Reform insists racism has no place in the party

In response to the investigation, Reform UK said that it had begun examining the allegations and that some members and councillors had been suspended or asked to leave. The party also maintained that not everyone recorded by ITV was a Reform member.

Its official response emphasised that inappropriate behaviour would be investigated and that due process had to be followed before decisions were made in individual cases.

The party said it had improved and prioritised its vetting procedures, while acknowledging that some individuals who did not share its values had initially passed through the system.

That response addresses the immediate controversy, but it also creates a clear expectation: if Reform says racism is unacceptable, its disciplinary decisions and candidate-selection practices must demonstrate that principle in practice.

The party will need to establish how candidates are assessed, what happens when concerns emerge and whether existing procedures can identify individuals whose public statements conflict with its declared standards.

Vetting is not a one-time process. A candidate’s behaviour can change after selection, and new information can emerge after someone has been elected. Effective safeguards therefore require not only checks before an election but also a clear system for handling complaints and misconduct afterwards.

Farage blames political hostility

Farage has challenged the circumstances surrounding the undercover investigation, suggesting that it was part of an effort by political opponents and establishment figures to damage Reform UK.

Speaking on October 15, he argued that candidates could not be vetted for everything they might say in future conversations. He also pointed out that one of the individuals shown in the footage had previously been a Conservative councillor before joining Reform.

Farage’s response highlights a legitimate distinction between a party’s responsibility for selecting candidates and its ability to control every statement made by its members. Political organisations cannot predict every future comment, and an individual’s previous party affiliation may be relevant when examining their history.

However, the investigation raises a separate question: whether concerns about some individuals were identified before the footage became public and, if so, how those concerns were handled.

ITV reported that its undercover work also examined conversations inside Reform’s political operation, including discussions about how allegations of racism were managed. One report said a senior communications official believed a mayoral candidate should be dismissed over comments about Black and Asian politicians, while Farage reportedly preferred that the candidate apologise.

These accounts have intensified scrutiny of the leadership’s decision-making. The central issue is not simply whether an individual can make an offensive remark after being selected, but whether the party responds consistently when credible concerns are raised.

Read ITV’s report on Farage’s response to the investigation.

The controversy over candidate vetting

Reform has repeatedly promised to professionalise its organisation as it grows. That ambition makes the latest allegations especially consequential.

A political party with a growing number of councillors and candidates needs reliable procedures for checking backgrounds, reviewing public statements and responding to complaints. These procedures must be robust enough to identify serious concerns while also allowing people to respond fairly to allegations.

ITV’s investigation reported that one prospective candidate was advised to delete social-media material associated with support for far-right activist Tommy Robinson before applying to stand for the party. The branch official involved later said he believed the undercover reporter was a genuine candidate and argued that a person should not be judged on a single conversation.

If candidates are encouraged to conceal controversial material rather than address legitimate concerns, that would raise questions about whether vetting is designed to assess conduct or merely reduce the risk of damaging publicity. The party would need to explain the circumstances and its own standards before definitive conclusions could be drawn about individual responsibility.

The issue matters beyond Reform. Every political party must balance the need for effective screening with fair procedures and the principle that allegations should be investigated rather than automatically accepted.

But the more ambitious a party’s electoral goals become, the greater the importance of demonstrating that its internal systems can keep pace with its expansion.

Labour calls for immediate action

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called on Reform to take immediate and firm action against members shown making racist remarks. He said there should be no place for racism, antisemitism or discrimination in British politics and welcomed the investigation’s contribution to public scrutiny.

Labour’s criticism has placed Reform on the defensive, although the controversy has also raised wider questions about political standards and the treatment of minorities across public life.

The government and opposition parties have a responsibility to distinguish between criticism of immigration policy and hostility directed at people because of their ethnicity or religion. Arguments about border controls, asylum rules and integration can be debated without resorting to dehumanising language or advocating violence.

That distinction is particularly important in a political climate where immigration has become a defining issue. A party can advocate stricter immigration controls while still being expected to reject racism and uphold the same basic standards of conduct for its representatives.

The question for Reform is whether it can demonstrate that these standards are applied consistently, including when doing so carries political or organisational costs.

Several councillors have left the party

The immediate consequences have already included departures from Reform UK.

ITV reported on October 16 that several councillors featured in the investigation had left the party or resigned. Alan Feeney, Raymond Dunning and Dean Miller had left Reform but remained councillors as independents, while Jamie Campbell and Chris Whelan had resigned from both the party and their council roles. Other councillors featured in the investigation remained in their positions at the time of the report.

The departures demonstrate that the controversy has had consequences beyond public statements and internal reviews. However, each individual’s position and any subsequent disciplinary action must be assessed separately.

Reform’s Treasury spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, defended the party’s vetting system and said individuals who had been filmed making racist comments had been suspended or asked to resign. He argued that political parties should assess cases individually rather than automatically treating every allegation in the same way.

That approach places the emphasis on due process. Yet the party will also need to show that its response is consistent and that serious misconduct is not excused simply because an individual has electoral support or holds an important position.

Read ITV’s October 16 update on Reform’s response.

ITV faces criticism from Reform

Reform has also criticised the methods used by ITV’s undercover reporters. The party argued that the investigation involved deception and raised security concerns by gaining access to its political operation.

Undercover journalism can raise difficult ethical questions, particularly when reporters use concealed identities or record conversations without participants’ knowledge. News organisations must consider whether the methods are justified by the public interest and whether the material is presented accurately and fairly.

At the same time, secretly recorded footage can reveal conduct that would otherwise remain hidden from voters. The significance of any investigation depends on the evidence, the context of the recordings and the opportunity for those involved to respond.

The debate over ITV’s methods should therefore be considered separately from the content of the remarks shown in the footage. Questions about journalistic ethics do not, by themselves, determine whether the recorded statements were acceptable or how the party should respond.

Equally, the publication of footage does not remove the need for careful verification and fair treatment of those accused of misconduct.

A test of Reform’s leadership

The controversy presents Farage with a difficult organisational challenge. Reform has built its public identity around political change and a promise to challenge established parties. As it seeks to govern more councils and expand its influence nationally, voters will increasingly examine how it manages its own representatives.

The party’s response will be judged on several fronts: whether investigations are conducted thoroughly, whether appropriate disciplinary action follows, whether vetting standards are strengthened and whether future candidates are assessed consistently.

It will also need to explain how it intends to prevent serious problems from recurring. That could involve more detailed background checks, stronger monitoring of public conduct, clearer reporting procedures and a transparent process for dealing with complaints.

Such measures cannot guarantee that no candidate will ever make an offensive remark. But they can help establish whether a party takes its stated standards seriously and whether its leadership acts when those standards are breached.

What happens next?

ITV’s documentary, Undercover: A Year in Reform, is scheduled to air on October 18, 2026, with further scrutiny expected as more of the investigation becomes public. The additional material may prompt new questions about the party’s internal culture, leadership decisions and candidate selection.

For Reform, the immediate priority is to demonstrate that its response goes beyond a statement rejecting racism. That means establishing the facts in individual cases, taking appropriate action and showing that its procedures are capable of addressing concerns before they develop into larger controversies.

For voters, the episode offers a broader reminder of the importance of accountability in political life. Parties should be judged not only by the policies they announce but also by how they select representatives, enforce standards and respond to credible evidence of misconduct.

Reform UK has declared that there is no room for racism within its ranks. Whether that commitment is reflected in its actions will depend on the outcome of investigations, the consistency of disciplinary decisions and the effectiveness of the safeguards it puts in place.

The ITV probe has made those questions difficult to avoid. The coming days will show how Reform responds to the findings and whether its leadership can provide convincing evidence that its declared principles are being applied throughout the organisation.