Nigel Farage accused of protecting candidate his own team called a racist over posts

Nigel Farage has faced serious accusations of shielding a former mayoral candidate whom members of his own inner circle privately labelled a racist, following a year-long undercover media investigation into Reform UK. The revelations form part of a broader ITV exposure documenting internal turmoil, controversial vetting procedures, and acute concerns over extremism within the party. Opposition figures have seized upon the footage to question the leadership's commitment to rooting out bigotry.

The controversy centres on Dr Chris Parry, who sought to become the mayor of Hampshire and the Solent for the party. According to reporting detailed by HuffPost UK, Dr Parry had posted online that former Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy must go home to the Caribbean where his loyalty lies, alongside questioning the loyalty of several other Black and Muslim politicians. Secretly recorded conversations at party headquarters revealed Sumner describing Dr Parry as clearly a racist.

Media additions

Rather than sacking the candidate, Farage reportedly intervened to keep him on board provided he offered an apology. Audio captured the party leader stating: It's showing a bit of... bit of sorrow. Look, ‘I'm sorry’ is probably a good thing to hear. Just take the f***ing deal. Trouble is he's a Rear Admiral. That's the problem. Once Farage departed the room, Sumner allegedly told an undercover operative that he would have ousted him months prior. Dr Parry was eventually dropped months later following separate comments regarding a Jewish neighbourhood watch group.

The investigation also brought to light deeper internal fractures and vetting discrepancies. ATV Today noted that Sarah Pochin, then the party's sole female MP, criticized the working culture as chauvinistic, remarking that senior officials actively excluded women from core circles. Meanwhile, vetting procedures faced scrutiny as insiders admitted that candidate checks were relaxed to balance electoral positioning with freedom of expression, allowing individuals who had previously failed checks to stand for election.

Reactions from political opponents were swift. Labour chair Bridget Phillipson argued that the findings demonstrated a systemic failure at the highest levels of Reform UK. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey characterized the broadcast as chilling, warning against the normalization of hatred within local communities.

In response to the allegations, Reform UK issued a robust defense, criticizing the broadcaster for utilizing deceptive methods, including false credentials to infiltrate headquarters. The party highlighted that security vulnerabilities had been raised with producers prior to publication, particularly in light of separate ongoing police investigations regarding threats against Farage. Addressing the internal disciplinary matters, the party maintained that due process was underway, suspensions had been enacted where appropriate, and there is no room for racism within its ranks.

The documentary, titled Undercover: A Year in Reform, is scheduled to air on Sunday 18th October at 10.20pm across ITV1, ITVX, STV & STV Player. Further fallout is anticipated as additional disciplinary hearings and internal investigations progress.