A Reform UK candidate who called for a “white Britain” and said Keir Starmer should be shot is one of several candidates raising doubts about the party's claim that it has tightened its scrutiny.
The previous comments from Linda McFarlane and other political hopefuls came to light in the run-up to the May 7 election, including one complaining about “constant kowtow to the black community” and others supporting far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Labor is preparing to broadcast a party election program on Friday that will expose some of the “toxic” views of reform advocates and warn viewers against offensive language.
While Reform leader Nigel Farage and senior colleagues have insisted the party's vetting processes are as tough as any, Reform has been under pressure this week over views and positions relating to a new group of candidates identified by anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate.
These included McFarlane, who is the Reform candidate in the Gateshead ward of Chopwell and Rowlands Gill. A social media account in her name tweeted “They should all be shot” on accounts used by Starmer and Justice Secretary David Lammy.
As potential reform candidates were vetted, the McFarlane account posted: “These black people who feel like the color of their skin is against them. Maybe it's because they're not good enough!!!!
On immigrants, the report said: “Let them all drown” and called for a “white Britain” and a white-only parliament. McFarlane has been contacted for comment.
The party has also been challenged over allegations that James Grainger, a county councilor in Devon who is up for re-election, used a YouTube account to make anti-Muslim and pro-Putin comments.
When Zia Yusuf resigned as Reform leader last year before returning, the report said: “I am very happy that Zia is gone. He was a Muslim and definitely against the values and direction of the Reform.”
The account had disclosed a number of details consistent with Grainger's age, background and occupation, including those listed on his register of interests. Grainger has been contacted for comment.
In 2022, a YouTube account in the name of Jason Patchett, Hoveton Reform candidate and leader of the party's North Norfolk branch, said: “Constantly kowtowing to the black community is doing us a disservice. It is this demographic in particular that is causing the problems, but we are afraid to take action.”
The comment was made on a now-deleted YouTube account archived by Hope Not Hate. Patchett has been contacted for comment.
Aseem Malhotra, speaking at the Reform UK conference last September, has repeatedly claimed that Covid vaccines had caused cancer in members of the royal family. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty
Joe Mulhall, Hope Not Hate's research director, said: “Reform UK's 'common sense' vetting process, which Zia Yusuf described as 'the best' in the country, has been proven time and again to be woefully inadequate.”
“After the last general election, Nigel Farage promised that 'the bad apples' would disappear from his party. But as reform continues to get so many people elected, the only conclusion is that there is a systematic failure in the review.”
Reform has been contacted about Grainger and McFarlane, as well as a number of other candidates who have allegedly made offensive comments.
Labour's election broadcast will include Farage's description of misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate as “a very important voice” and Reform MP Sarah Pochin's comment that “it drives me crazy when I see adverts full of black people”.
The Labor show also featured Aseem Malhotra, a doctor who spoke at Reform's annual conference and repeatedly claimed that members of the royal family had developed cancer as a result of the Covid vaccines.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed called on Farage to expel 45 Reform candidates who Labor said had a record of offensive comments.
Reed said: “The idea that Nigel Farage would consider these candidates who espouse abhorrent racism, misogyny and conspiracy theories is frankly mind-boggling.”
Among the candidates highlighted by Labor was Alan Stay, a reform candidate in the Isle of Wight, who spread racist and sexist messages online, including one who repeatedly used an explicitly racist epithet and argued that it was not a harmful word.
Another candidate, Caroline Panetta, who is running in the London outskirts of Bexley, tweeted anti-Islamic comments, including saying that Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, wanted to turn the city into “Londonstan” where women were unsafe.
About the Author
