Exclusive: Undercover inside Reform’s campaign – evidence of homophobia and canvasser’s racism

Channel 4 News has carried out an undercover investigation within the Reform UK campaign in Clacton, exposing examples of racist language and an apparent admission that the party has breached the local electoral campaign spending limit in the seat.

An undercover investigator conducted filming for Channel 4 News within the Reform UK campaign in Clacton, with filming concluding last week.

The recorded footage reveals a Reform UK canvasser openly making racist and Islamophobic comments to potential voters on the ground, as he represents the party.

It also includes footage of a conversation between: George Jones, a veteran of UKIP and the Brexit Party now running events for Mr Farage’s campaign; Rob Bates, a senior Reform UK campaigner; and Roger Gravett, Reform UK’s regional manager for London and candidate for Tottenham.

EXCLUSIVE: We’ve gone undercover inside Nigel Farage’s Reform UK campaign in Clacton and found evidence of anti-migrant rhetoric, homophobia and one canvasser making racist and offensive remarks. As @DarshnaSoni reports. pic.twitter.com/VkhVLczjcw

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) June 27, 2024

Central to the footage is discussion of apparent challenges facing the campaign, including local spending restrictions.

Referring to the legal spending limit for a campaign in a single seat, Mr Gravett says: “A short campaign you’ve got, I don’t know, twenty grand or whatever it is, the figure”.

In response, Mr Bates is heard saying: “We’ve spent double that already, don’t worry”, before Mr Jones adds: “It’s twenty grand minus… It’s six for VAT. So actually it’s only f****** fifteen.”

Mr Bates has since distanced himself from his comment, later telling Channel 4 News it was a joke and that he is not responsible for campaign spending. Reform UK told the programme that campaign spending is “well within the legal spending limits”.

Reform UK canvasser calls for ‘target practice’ on people arriving by boat

The undercover investigator went on the campaign trail with a Reform UK canvasser, Andrew Parker, who says he knows Nigel Farage.

In a car en route to canvassing potential voters, Mr Parker gives the undercover investigator advice on what to say on the doorstep.

“The immigration thing, use the word ‘illegal’. Emphasise ‘illegal’ especially if you open the door and there’s a bunch of p****.”

Giving his view on Muslims and what the party would do with mosques, Mr Parker says to the undercover investigator:

“Sick mate. Sick m*****f******”, adding: “It’s a cult. I tell you what, if you don’t know about Islam, it is the most disgusting cult out”. “We’re f****** kicking all the Muslims out of the mosques and turning them into Wetherspoons.“

In the same conversation, Mr Parker describes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as a “f****** p***”.

“I’ve always been a Tory voter,” he says, “but what annoys me is that f****** p*** we’ve got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. He’s just wet. F****** useless”.

Talking to a prospective voter on the doorstep, Mr Parker is also heard expressing his views on how to stop the boats, suggesting army recruits should carry out “target practice”.

“You’ve got Deal, haven’t you. The place near Dover. Army recruitment. Get the young recruits there, yeah, with guns on the f****** beach, target practice. F****** just shoot them. That is what the Greeks done… You know about that. The Greeks shot a load… Ringfence Bradfordstan. Round the f****** up. Do that f****** lot as well. And you’ve got these bastards running our country. You must be f****** joking mate.”

He later tells a man who says he’s a paramedic to deny oxygen to a patient in an ambulance if they are “any of that f****** lot”.

“And do us a favour. You’re a paramedic. Any of that f****** lot get in your ambulance, just don’t put oxygen on the bastard. Use something else. You know where I’m coming from”, he says.

Reform UK campaign figure outlines vision

The programme’s report returns to the scene at a Clacton pub where senior campaign figures meet. Mr Jones tells the undercover investigator why Reform UK chose Clacton, saying:

“Have a look around. Proper England. You know what I mean? Proper English. Not like in London when you’re a foreigner in your own country, and if you say ‘hello’ to someone they look like they’re about to f****** knife you in the face”.

Later, joined by Mr Gravett and Mr Bates, Mr Jones makes homophobic comments, as a police car passes by displaying a Pride flag.

“You see that f****** degenerate flag on the front bonnet? What are the old bill doing promoting that crap? They should be out catching nonces not promoting the f******.”

Later, outlining their vision for a future Reform government, Mr Gravett is heard saying: “When we form the government in 2029 then surely we can change lots of things”.

In response, Mr Jones is heard saying “our police officers will be paramilitaries, they won’t be police” and that Reform UK should “bring back the noose”.

Today’s reporting from Channel 4 News comes amidst new MRP polling from Electoral Calculus, which predicts Reform UK could win as many as 18 seats in next week’s election.

In a statement to Channel 4 News tonight, Mr Nigel Farage has said:

“I am dismayed by the reported comments of a handful of people associated with my local campaign, particularly those who are volunteers. They will no longer be with the campaign.

“The appalling sentiments expressed by some in these exchanges bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK policy. Some of the language used was reprehensible.

“Reform UK is a party for everybody who believes in Britain. I am proud that our supporters, candidates and national campaign team come from all backgrounds and identities.

“I would be interested to know whether Channel 4 is subjecting the grassroots volunteers of all the political parties to similar subterfuges, or whether Reform UK has been singled out for special attention.

“For instance, have they covered the grotesquely racist social media post by Labour’s candidate in Clacton who has now apparently been banished to the Midlands?

“Just one week before polling day, we will not allow this to distract us from our mission to give voters a real alternative to the establishment parties that have broken Britain.”

In a statement to Channel 4 News tonight, Mr Peter Harris has said:

“As Reform UK Agent and Campaign Manager in Clacton I am appalled by these reported comments. All parties in such a short campaign are having to deal with the challenges of working with many activists they may not have met before.

“Any individuals who have been identified as making unacceptable comments and holding those views are not welcome in our campaign. We are running a campaign to represent all voters in Clacton.

“No political party is perfect. Just ask Labour’s candidate in Clacton, whom it seems has been exiled from Essex after it emerged that he was behind a blatantly racist social media post.

“As to the suggestion that our campaign has overspent; I can assure everyone that this is completely untrue.

We are well within the legal limits and, like all parties, our returns will be delivered promptly after the close of the polls.”

A statement from Mr Andrew Parker to Channel 4 News:

“I am making this statement in response to your letter informing me of your intention to broadcast clandestine undercover recordings you have of me whilst canvassing for the Reform Party.

“I would like to make it clear that neither Nigel Farage personally or the Reform Party are aware of my personal views on immigration.

“I have never discussed Immigration with either Nigel Farage or the Reform Party and that any comments made by me during those recordings are my own personal views on any subject I commented on. At no time before I was sent out to canvass did I discuss my personal views with any representative of the Reform Party or Nigel Farage.

“I would therefore like to apologise profusely to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views have reflected badly on them and brought them into disrepute as this was not my intention. I offered to help the Reform Party on their canvassing as I believe that they are the only party that offer the UK voter a practical solution to the illegal immigration problem that we have in the UK.”

Investigation produced in association with Lee Sorrell Media.