Undercover footage recorded by ITV shows a Reform UK activist and aspiring MP telling a reporter that Muslims cannot be British and that asylum seekers should be placed in “concentration camps”.
The comments were captured as part of an investigation that has already led to Reform being accused of “appalling behaviour” and “extreme racism”.
Activist's remarks on Islam and asylum seekers
In footage due to be broadcast on Sunday, the activist described himself as “pretty hardline about Islam” and said: “If a Muslim’s prepared to de-convert, I’m happy. But if they want to remain faithful to Islam, then this would be, I would have disagreements, especially with, um, I mean, as far as I understand, (Reform home affairs spokesman) Zia Yusuf is a Muslim… To me… you cannot be a Muslim and British… it’s like oil and water.”
Discussing people crossing the Channel in small boats, the same activist said: “In the first week of election, build concentration camps, and everyone who comes across on the Channel, you’re in there.”
Further footage and party response
Other footage included a Reform councillor saying the party’s board was “hardline”, adding that they held views that would result in their expulsion if expressed publicly. Excerpts released earlier in the week showed councillors and candidates within Reform using racist language, including one clip where black children were referred to as “animals” and another where a member said his area had become “infested” with Asian families.
In a separate clip, Reform MP Sarah Pochin described the party as “chauvinistic”, adding: “They just exclude you if you’re a woman.”
Reform has said it had opened investigations where activists or members had “clearly behaved inappropriately”, adding there was “no room for racism” in the party.
Political reaction
Labour Party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson said Nigel Farage’s response to the revelations showed he was “completely unfit to lead”. She said: “Bad apples don’t fall far from the tree. The sleaze, scandals and appalling revelations of racism and rank misogyny piling up by the day go right to the top of Reform UK. Nigel Farage is incapable of taking responsibility and getting his house in order because he himself shares culpability.”
Speaking earlier in the week, Mr Farage said that while Reform carries out vetting “you can’t vet people for what they say in the future”. He added: “I put it to you, if you went and spoke to hundreds of Conservative councillors and tried to provoke them you would find all sorts of things and all sorts of comments said.”
In a statement to ITV, Reform said: “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. There is no room for racism in Reform UK. We always respect due process of investigations and whilst these are ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.”
