ITV undercover probe: Farage accused of 'protecting' Reform candidate over racist remarks about Lammy

An undercover investigation by British broadcaster ITV has revealed that a senior official told Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing party Reform UK, that he was "protecting" a mayoral candidate accused of making racist comments about former foreign secretary David Lammy. The new footage was released on Thursday 15 October, ahead of the full documentary, "Undercover: A Year in Reform", which airs on Sunday.

The Parry case

Chris Parry, a retired rear admiral, was Reform's candidate for the Hampshire and the Solent mayoral election. Last year he said Lammy should "go home to the Caribbean", and suggested that at least eight other politicians from minority ethnic backgrounds do not have a primary loyalty to the UK. The party stood by him for months. He was suspended on 26 March, after the Guardian reported other remarks in which he described members of a Jewish neighbourhood watch group as "cosplayers" and likened them to "Islamists on horseback".

The ITV material shows Ed Sumner, Reform's head of communications, saying when the row broke last December: "He needs to go, I'm getting rid of him." Three weeks later Parry was still the candidate, and Farage told a press conference he could stay if he apologised. In a conversation with Sumner, Farage said Parry must apologise to Lammy and move on. Sumner replied: "You're protecting him."

The MP's complaints

Other footage shows Sarah Pochin, Reform's MP for Runcorn and Helsby, who was then the party's only female MP, complaining that party officials are chauvinistic and exclude women.

Reactions

Bridget Phillipson, chair of the Labour party, said the revelations "go right to the top of Reform" and urged Farage to explain his actions. Reform UK accused ITV and producer Hardcash Productions of "extreme methods of deception", claiming the journalist used altered identification documents and a false address to gain access to its headquarters. The party also said there is no room for racism in Reform UK. Parry urged people to look at the original context of his remarks.