A Reform UK councillor from south-east London has resigned after being secretly recorded allegedly claiming that King Charles is a Muslim and describing black children as "animals", according to an undercover investigation.
ITV's exclusive report, Undercover - A Year In Reform, due to air on Sunday, recorded Dean Miller, a Reform councillor in Bromley, making a series of remarks while campaigning for the party during a parliamentary by-election in Makerfield.
Alleged remarks during campaign
In footage obtained by ITV, Miller allegedly claimed London had been "ethnically cleansed" and complained about demographic change in his home borough.
According to the broadcaster, he said: "Because you never used to get any blacks over in Bromley, and now Bromley [has] massive Nigerian communities there."
In a separate exchange, Miller allegedly referred to local children involved in vandalism, saying: "Like all the ethnic kids, they're not white, they're all black, and they're like animals."
Claims about the King
The councillor was also recorded making claims about the King.
According to ITV, Miller said: "Apparently King Charles is a Muslim," before going on to suggest the monarch had betrayed the country and making comments about beheading him.
The remarks were among a series of racist, sexist and inflammatory comments allegedly made by Reform councillors and candidates across England and Wales during the investigation.
Resignation and reaction
Miller, who was elected as a Reform councillor in May, told ITV he had been heavily medicated at the time because of a chronic pain condition. The broadcaster reported that he has since resigned from Reform UK. He is currently listed as an independent on Bromley Council's website.
The revelations have triggered fresh scrutiny of Reform's vetting procedures as the party seeks to present itself as a credible challenger to Labour and the Conservatives.
Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson described the allegations as "truly sickening" and said Reform must immediately remove any members found to have made racist remarks.
She said: "Nigel Farage needs to explain why this keeps happening in his party and why he is failing to deal with blatant racism among those who stand for public office with his backing."
Reform UK said it had launched investigations into individuals featured in the programme and stressed that those views did not reflect the party's values.
A spokesperson told ITV: "Where members, activists and councillors have clearly behaved inappropriately, investigations have commenced. In some cases, there have been suspensions and due process must be followed.
"Reform UK has improved and prioritised its vetting procedures, but from time to time, a handful of individuals who do not share our values will initially make it through vetting. This is the same for all organisations."
The party's deputy leader, Richard Tice, also questioned aspects of the investigation, suggesting one individual filmed by ITV was a "Tory plant" seeking to make Reform "look bad".
The latest controversy is likely to increase pressure on Reform leader Nigel Farage, who previously pledged to professionalise the party and remove extremists from its ranks. ITV's investigation found several party figures discussing ways of concealing controversial views from voters while campaigning for elected office.
ITV Exposure - Undercover: A Year in Reform airs on Sunday, October 18 at 10:20pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
