Andy Burnham has called on Nigel Farage to take "immediate and firm" action against Reform councillors caught using racist and sexist language in an undercover television sting, describing a "poison" that has been allowed into British politics.
Footage broadcast by ITV showed one councillor describing Asian homeowners as "parasites" and another suggesting the King should be beheaded for secretly being Muslim. Reform UK says it is investigating a number of cases and has suspended some members after the videos came to light.
Burnham's Call for Action
Mr Burnham said: "We've allowed a poison into our politics in recent years, and it's time to draw a line under it. In fact, I praised the Leader of the Opposition (Kemi Badenoch) in the House of Commons yesterday afternoon, who herself drew a line at her party conference between her party and that type of politics, and we all need to call it out more."
He added: "I'm pleased ITV has done this. There is no place for any form of racism, antisemitism, discrimination in British politics, and we all should be relentless in repeating that and taking the firmest possible action. And I hope the Reform Party will take immediate and firm action against those who've been revealed to be making these abhorrent comments."
Undercover Footage Details
On Wednesday footage showed Reform councillor Alan Feeney, deputy mayor of Solihull, claiming that his area was "infested" with Asian homeowners. He was seen suggesting the government should "drag them out of their homes".
Another clip showed a South London councillor, Dean Miller, saying the King should be beheaded after claiming the monarch is secretly a Muslim. He also described Black children as "f***** animals". Raymond Dunning, who claimed to have been asked by Reform to run as an MP, said on camera: "I'm so far-right it's unbelievable." Further clips, recorded during a year-long investigation, showed councillor Chris Whelen making sexual remarks about a female Reform colleague.
Secretly-recorded video shows Mr Feeney looking at cars on a driveway in an area he claims has too many Asian homeowners. In it he said it was "infested" and added: "They're parasites, absolute parasites". Unaware he was being filmed, he told an undercover reporter: "When a house comes up for sale, white people need to be in there. You almost need to f***ing out-Muslim the Muslims."
Mr Feeney also said: "I'd be saying no more than 1% of [the] British population can be non-white… you'd need a proper nuclear option, like literally drag them out of their homes..." He also said the UK was getting to a point where Muslims could be banned from public office.
Reform's Response and Political Reactions
Mr Feeney announced he had left Reform for personal reasons this week. Another undercover clip shows Dean Miller, a Reform councillor in Bromley, South London, claiming King Charles was Muslim, because "someone from the inside" had seen a prayer mat. He branded the monarch "traitorous" and in an expletive-filled diatribe said his head should be cut off.
In a statement sent to The Mirror, Mr Miller said he had resigned the party whip, adding: "This decision was taken due to a catastrophic, multi-layered failure of the duty of care and safeguarding by party leadership at both local and national levels." He continued: "Any footage obtained by undercover operatives occurred when I was suffering from acute physical and neurological distress, sleep deprivation, and heavily under the influence of strong, legally prescribed neurological pain medications. Any remarks captured during this period of severe cognitive impairment does not reflect my character, my beliefs, or my years of dedicated humanitarian and public health service."
Another Solihull Reform councillor, Chris Whelan, is accused of making misogynistic comments about a female Reform candidate. He announced on Monday that he had resigned from Reform. The Mirror has contacted Mr Feeney, Mr Dunning and Mr Whelan for comment.
A statement from Reform UK said: "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. However good the vetting, one cannot vet a future comment especially in circumstances where an individual is entrapped in a discussion with an undercover reporter. There is no room for racism in Reform UK."
Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said: "The extreme racism and appalling behaviour exposed by this investigation is truly sickening. Nigel Farage can't shrug these latest revelations off as being a few bad apples. Every Reform councillor, council candidate or party member found to have made such despicable comments must be thrown out of Reform UK immediately. 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. It's clear that Farage and his party are determined to poison our politics and threaten the shared British values Labour will always proudly defend."
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey described ITV's report as "chilling", and said: "I feel for anyone watching this tonight who is frightened to see such racism and hatred festering in their community. It's the very worst of what we're seeing in Trump's America. We can't let it become Farage's Britain."
The accusations are among those set to feature in the 90-minute film Undercover: A Year In Reform, to be screened Sunday 18th October at 10.20pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
