Reform UK has come under scrutiny for choosing local election candidates who have been accused of disseminating objectionable content on the internet. This raises questions over the party’s supposed rigorous vetting strategy. Campaign organisation Hope Not Hate identified several candidates who have made online posts encouraging hate, advocating far-right conspiracies, and supporting extremism. This contradicts Nigel Farage’s assertions of comprehensive candidate screening. The party, fielding over 1,600 candidates for the imminent English council elections, has previously publicised its endeavours to adopt a more professional approach in the wake of past racism scandals.
Speaking at a campaign event in Dover, Farage professed that their vetting matched or surpassed those of other parties. He suggested numerous applications had been rejected on the grounds of unsuitable language or the making of absurd comments. However, the findings of Hope Not Hate appear to contradict this, highlighting 14 candidates with questionable online activity.
The candidates receiving attention include Steven Biggs, running in Pelton, North Durham, who proposed a vehemently aggressive stance against Islam in 2015. Isaiah-John Smith Reasbeck, a candidate in Doncaster, made offensive comments about Bradford’s Muslim community on an unspecified platform. Howard Rimmer, also a candidate in Doncaster, republished far-right content and conspiracy theories. Trevor Bridgwood, a candidate in Lincolnshire, disseminated articles disparaging Muslim immigration.
The apparent lack of response from Reform UK to these discoveries adds further uncertainty over their claims of rigorous vetting. The party, led by Zia Yusuf, a Muslim, has tried to separate itself from infamous individuals like Tommy Robinson. However, previous incidents which resulted in candidates being disqualified for offensive comments highlight ongoing difficulties with candidate selection.
This article is based on original reporting by The BBC and was modified for publication in The Lincoln Post.
