Reform Watch: Racism, racism and more racism
Each week we cast over eyes over what Reform have been up to – from bizarre proclamations to the detail of how their attempts to run councils are going.
The Lead is keeping an eye on Reform UK and their fellow travellers. Get in touch on X, Bluesky and Instagram or email ella@thelead.uk with tips and stories. We especially want to hear from readers whose local council is now run by Farage’s followers. In today’s edition:
An exclusive report by The Lancashire Lead found a senior Reform UK figure in Lancashire, Tom Pickup, has been suspended by the party after posting in a far-right Whatsapp group were other members posted calls for Keir Starmer to be shot, talks of stockpiling weapons to commit domestic terrorism and extreme examples of racism, including calls for a “mass genocide of Islam”. Send any tips or information to luke@thelead.uk.
The Prime Minister has called on Nigel Farage to explain reports of racist comments he allegedly made when he was a schoolboy at Dulwich College. According to the Guardian, numerous fellow pupils have accused Farage of making anti-semitic jibes and teaching younger pupils racist songs. Farage denies the claims.
Laura Anne Jones, Reform UK’s only member of the Welsh parliament, has been suspended for two weeks over a racial slur she posted in an office WhatsApp group, following an investigation by the Senedd’s standards commissioner. A report found that in August 2023, Jones posted a racist slur about Chinese spies in a WhatsApp group, among other offensive exchanges. The standards of conduct committee said it “points to an office culture where there was little respect towards others or any consideration of what may be found offensive.”
Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, has controversially described children wearing ear defenders – protective earmuffs designed to block out loud noises for people with sensory issues – in school as “insane”, claiming neurodiverse conditions like ADHD are overdiagnosed.
Reform UK has been accused of fabricating evidence provided to the Information Commissioner’s Office, following allegations that it breached data rules, according to an exclusive investigation by Byline Times. It follows a complaint from a voter who received unsolicited communications from the party. The ICO are assessing the complaint, and Reform UK has denied the allegations.
Ensure we can keep a close eye on everything Reform are doing by becoming a paid subscriber (regular ReformWatch readers can follow this link to get 30 per cent off the price of an annual subscription) to The Lead and support us to be an independent progressive publication tackling the people, places and policies affecting the UK right now and also sharing this story so others can see what Reform are up to.