Reform UK suspends councillors over racist and violent threats caught by ITV

Reform UK has been plunged into a major political crisis after an undercover television investigation captured party councillors and election candidates making graphic threats of extreme violence, alongside racist, sexist, and misogynistic remarks. The fallout, detailed in reports by Express, The Guardian, BBC, and The Independent, threatens to derail Nigel Farage's attempts to present his party as professional and ready for government.

The secret recordings, gathered by ITV News over the course of a year, feature eight figures connected to the party across England and Wales. Among them is Alan Feeney, the deputy mayor of Solihull, who was recorded calling Asian homeowners "parasites" and suggesting that non-white residents should make up no more than one percent of the British population. Feeney was also filmed discussing a potential local mosque with fellow candidates Jamie Campbell and Chris Whelan, during which Campbell suggested burying pork chops in the ground to stop it, prompting Feeney to remark that they were all going to end up in the newspapers.

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Further graphic comments emerged from Dean Miller, a Reform councillor for Bromley. Miller was recorded calling for King Charles to be decapitated because he claimed the monarch is a Muslim, while also describing local children of color as "animals". Miller subsequently told ITV that he was a disabled individual who was heavily medicated at the time due to a chronic pain condition, and announced his resignation from the party. Feeney and Whelan also stepped down from Reform UK, with Feeney citing personal reasons and Whelan pointing to personal and health grounds, according to reporting by Express.

In Makerfield, Tameside councillor Raymond Dunning was captured outlining plans to deport individuals and their children, suggesting young men be trained in insurgency tactics to clear streets and houses, though Express notes Dunning did not respond to requests for comment.

In response to the scandal, Reform UK issued statements criticizing the broadcaster's tactics. According to The Guardian and The Independent, the party accused ITV and Hardcash Productions of using extreme methods of deception, including commissioning an undercover journalist with false identification documents and credentials to access party headquarters and computer systems. The party stated that this infiltration occurred while Nigel Farage and other members faced security threats, noting an ongoing police investigation into security breaches against their leader.

Regarding the vetting process, Reform UK acknowledged that inappropriate behavior had triggered investigations and suspensions, noting that 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 the party stated, adding that this challenge applies to all political organizations.

Rival political figures moved swiftly to condemn the revelations. Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson stated that the behavior was truly sickening, arguing that Nigel Farage could not dismiss the incident as the actions of a few bad apples, according to Express and The Guardian. A Conservative Party spokesman told Express and The Independent that the sorry individuals caught on camera were proof that Farage had failed to make his party ready for government. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the report as chilling, while a Green Party spokesperson claimed the recorded comments reflected broader party policy on migrants and Muslims, as reported by the BBC.

The controversy compounds recent troubles for Reform UK, which has faced recent stagnation in opinion polls and fallout from a previous undercover investigation by Channel 4 News regarding party funding laws. Farage postponed a major political announcement originally scheduled in Essex as the party braced for further broadcast disclosures.

What to watch next

• The full documentary, titled Undercover: A Year in Reform, is scheduled to air on Sunday 18 October 2026 at 10:20 pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player, which is expected to reveal additional footage from inside the party's London headquarters.
• Further internal disciplinary actions and suspensions from Reform UK as party officials evaluate the full scope of the undercover recordings.
• Potential developments regarding ongoing parliamentary standards investigations and police inquiries concerning party security.