Reform UK's deputy leader has sparked controversy by refusing to condemn a party candidate who told Justice Secretary David Lammy to "go home to the Caribbean". Richard Tice defended the party's role to "challenge" the minister, while also dismissing fresh allegations of racism against leader Nigel Farage as "old news".
Tice Defends Party's Right to 'Challenge'
During a press conference on Monday, Richard Tice was repeatedly questioned about comments made by Chris Parry, a retired naval rear admiral selected as Reform's candidate for the now-postponed Hampshire and the Solent mayoral election. In a February post on X, Parry responded to a news story about potential slavery reparations talks by writing: "Lammy must go home to the Caribbean where his loyalty lies."
David Lammy, who was Foreign Secretary at the time of the post and is now Justice Secretary, was born in north London to parents from Guyana. When asked if Parry's statement was acceptable, Tice claimed he was unfamiliar with it but suggested such sentiments were part of political discourse. "I'm not familiar with what was said," Tice stated. "At the end of the day, David Lammy is a cabinet minister. Whether we think he's doing a good or bad job is just part of politics."
Even after a journalist read the post aloud, Tice declined to condemn it, instead attempting to redirect the conversation to the press conference's official topic of special educational needs.
Farage Racism Allegations Dismissed as 'Old News'
Tice also faced questions regarding allegations from 28 former pupils of Dulwich College who accused Nigel Farage of using antisemitic and other racist language during his school years. Earlier this month, Tice had labelled the claims "made-up twaddle". When pressed on whether he stood by that description, he replied, "It's old news. We covered that a couple of weeks ago. We're moving on."
This stance continues a pattern of Reform UK figures distancing themselves from criticism of candidates' remarks. Danny Kruger, the former Conservative MP who defected to Reform, similarly declined to condemn Parry's comment, saying he was "not aware of the details of that allegation".
Candidate Stands By Controversial Post
In an interview with Talk TV on Monday, Chris Parry indicated he stood by his February post about David Lammy. He urged people to view the comment in context on X. "All I'm saying is, if you're the [former] foreign secretary of this country, your primary loyalty must be to this country," Parry said. When asked directly if he believed Lammy was loyal to the UK, Parry responded, "Ask him."
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from Labour. Anna Turley, the party chair, wrote to Nigel Farage on Tuesday, stating: "Political disagreement over matters of policy is perfectly legitimate, but calling into question the loyalties of a politician on the basis of his ethnicity is racist." She added, "Telling a black British man from London to 'go home to the Caribbean' is racist. It should have no place in our politics, and no place in your party."
The controversy places Reform UK under renewed scrutiny regarding its internal culture and the boundaries of political debate, as it seeks to establish itself as a major force in British politics.
