- author, Kate Whannell
- role, Political reporter
-
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has repeatedly insisted that a video showing racist comments apparently made by one of his party activists was “staged”.
He faced angry questions from viewers of BBC’s Question Time after Reform UK campaigner Andrew Parker used racist language about Chancellor Rishi Sunak, during a BBC Channel 4 broadcast.
Mr Farage described the comments as a “flaming exchange” but suggested the man may have been paid.
Asked about other comments made by Reform UK candidates, Mr Farage said he wanted “nothing to do with them” and was withdrawing his support.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay, who appeared before Mr Farage on the programme, called Mr Parker’s comments “appalling” and said they were a “stark reminder of the future we are heading for if the public votes for reform”.
Asked about comments made by some of his nominees, he said the concerns would be properly investigated.
WARNING: This story contains disturbing language
He said his two daughters had “had to see and hear racist language used against Nigel Farage by reformists who campaigned for him”.
He said Mr Farage had “some questions to answer”.
As well as his slander against the Prime Minister, Parker is also said to have described Islam as a “most abominable cult” and suggested army recruits should do “target practice” firing at boats carrying illegal immigrants to the UK.
In a statement, Mr Parker said: “If my personal views have caused any harm to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party or brought them into disrepute, that was not my intention and I wish to apologise deeply.”
Essex Police said it was urgently assessing comments made in the programme “to establish whether any criminal offences were committed”.
Farage claimed he had done more to dislodge the far right than anyone else currently in British politics.
“I took on the BNP a little over 10 years ago and I said to their voters: ‘If this is a protest vote and you don’t support their racist policies, don’t vote for them, vote for me and destroy them’.”
He repeated claims made earlier in the day that Mr Parker was an actor, and suggested it was a “political gimmick of astonishing proportions”.
“This was designed to hurt us and unfortunately there are some people who believe it.”
Asked by the BBC about Farage’s comments, Parker declined to comment.
Channel 4 News said it was committed to “rigorous and fair journalism”, adding that it first met Parker at Reform UK headquarters and that it had not paid him any money.
Mr Farage was then asked about other comments made by Reform UK candidates.
Edward Oakenfull, a man from the Derbyshire Dales who made offensive social media posts about the IQs of sub-Saharan Africans, told the BBC his comments had been “taken out of context”.
Barnsley North candidate Robert Lomas said black people “are [their] The comments were reported by The Times on June 8, with Reform claiming at the time that they were “partial quotes taken out of context” and that it needed more time to respond.
Councillor Leslie Lilley, who represents Southend East and Rochford, reportedly called those arriving in small boats “scum”, adding: “I hope your families get robbed, beaten and assaulted.”
Mr Farage rejected the candidates in question, adding: “I want nothing to do with them.”
“In every political party there are people who say bad things and get things wrong,” he said, arguing that part of the problem was the rush to find candidates after the prime minister suddenly declared a general election in July.
Ms Lilley is no longer listed as a candidate in the constituency on the Reform UK website, but Mr Oakenfull and Ms Lomas are.
The BBC has contacted the Reform Party to confirm whether it has formally withdrawn its support for all three candidates.
But it’s too late to stop them from appearing on the ballot.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay was also questioned about comments made by some of his party’s candidates about the Gaza conflict, including one that likened Hamas to the French Resistance in World War II.
Ramsay said he did not support that view, adding that any concerns would be “appropriately investigated through the appropriate channels within the party”, although he said those channels were separate from the party leadership.
“Unfortunately, none of the candidates selected in this election have announced that they are running again,” he said.
