Reform UK has been plunged into a fresh crisis over racism after an undercover investigation captured party figures making graphic threats of violence, expressing hostility towards ethnic minorities and advocating the forced removal of Muslims from Britain.
The footage, broadcast by ITV News, has intensified pressure on Nigel Farage to explain how individuals making such remarks were able to represent his party, raising questions about Reform’s vetting procedures and its readiness for public office.
Among the most disturbing comments were remarks by Alan Feeney, a Reform councillor and deputy mayor of Solihull, who said he would refuse to canvass voters with Asian names and described his approach as “Alan’s racist canvassing”.
In the recordings, Feeney also argued that no more than 1 per cent of the British population should be non-white. Speaking about Muslims, he claimed they were present throughout the judiciary, schools and healthcare system but were “not working on our side”.
He went further, suggesting that Muslims should be forcibly removed from their homes and put on planes to Pakistan.
In another passage, Feeney appeared to allege that King Charles was secretly Muslim, describing the supposed religious affiliation as “traitorous” before making a violent remark about the monarch.
Feeney has since announced that he has left Reform UK, citing personal reasons.
The investigation also recorded Reform councillor Miller making derogatory comments about black children and describing demographic changes in Bromley as “ethnic cleansing”. He alleged that children responsible for vandalism were black and referred to them as “animals”.
Miller told ITV News that he had been heavily medicated at the time because of a chronic pain condition. He has also resigned from the party.
Other excerpts included racist descriptions of black children and claims that Asian families had “infested” local communities, according to the investigation.
The revelations place Reform under renewed scrutiny as Farage seeks to position the party as a credible contender for national power. The footage presents a challenge that goes beyond the conduct of individual councillors: it raises questions about the people attracted to the party, the effectiveness of its safeguards and the consistency with which its stated standards are enforced.
Reform said there was “no room for racism” in the party, while acknowledging that its screening process had not prevented every individual from getting through.
A spokesman said the party had improved and prioritised its vetting procedures, but that a handful of people who did not share its values had occasionally passed the checks.
“However good the vetting, one cannot vet a future comment,” the spokesman said, adding that the individuals had been drawn into discussions with an undercover reporter.
The response is unlikely to settle the political argument. While Reform suggested those involved had either been suspended or had left, critics demanded a fuller explanation of how the comments had been allowed to go unchallenged and what action would follow.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the report as “chilling”, warning against the normalisation of racist politics.
“We can’t let it become Farage’s Britain,” he said, drawing a comparison with the political climate in Donald Trump’s America.
The Conservatives argued that the footage undermined Farage’s promise to make Reform ready for government. Labour’s education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, called the comments “truly sickening” and demanded that anyone found to have made such remarks be expelled immediately.
Phillipson also challenged Farage to explain why similar controversies continued to arise within his party, accusing Reform of poisoning political debate.
For Farage, the episode presents a difficult balancing act. He must defend his party against accusations that racism is tolerated within its ranks while demonstrating that its candidates and elected representatives meet the standards expected of people seeking public office.
The investigation does not establish that every Reform member shares the views expressed in the recordings. But the language captured — including advocacy of mass deportation, racial exclusion and violence — raises serious questions about candidate selection and accountability.
Reform’s insistence that there is “no room for racism” will now be measured against its response to the individuals exposed by the investigation, and whether its vetting and disciplinary systems can prevent similar cases in future.
As the party seeks to broaden its appeal, the political cost may lie not only in the remarks themselves, but in whether voters believe its leadership can enforce the standards it publicly claims to uphold.
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