Reform selects self-proclaimed Tommy Robinson ‘admirer’ for by-election
Emily Price
Reform UK has chosen a foul-mouthed social media troll and self-described Tommy Robinson “admirer” as its candidate for a Welsh by-election.
Reform’s Newport and Islwyn branch announced last week that Darren Crandon had been chosen to stand for the party at the Risca East by-election on November 19.
The by-election is being held following the death of Labour Councillor Nigel George, who served the ward for 15 years.
Announcing his election bid, Crandon said he wasn’t standing because he thought he had “all the answers” but because he was “prepared to listen”.
Social media posts unearthed by Nation.Cymru reveal that Crandon is a supporter of the British far-right, anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – better known as Tommy Robinson.
In comments posted to X, Crandon described Robinson – who is currently standing trial after being accused of harassing journalists – as a “breath of fresh air”.
He also praised the far-right figure as being “in touch with the public”.
In June last year, Crandon tagged the founder of the English Defence League saying: “Tommy Robinson had the balls to stand up for what was right, and for speaking the truth him and those young girls were branded racist and ignored!”
In 2018, Crandon defended Robinson when former Scottish MP Stewart McDonald branded him a “violent, racist thug and fraudster” during a point of order in the House of Commons.
In one post to McDonald, Crandon wrote: “Tommy Robinson is in touch with the public it’s you and everyone in that house that are the ones who are out of touch!!”
In another post to the MP, he wrote: “Why not speak to Mr Tommy Robinson about the serious accusation you made about him? Coward!!”
In a comment published in 2018 when petitions began circulating calling for Robinson’s release from prison, Crandon hit out at journalist Piers Morgan.
He wrote: “I think that your anti tommy Robinson backing my [sic] just increase this petition to well over a million! Thanks piers.”
In a message tagging Robinson on X in February this year, Crandon pleaded with the convicted criminal to “unite the right”.
He wrote: “Tommy, I like many other Reform supporters think that you have been a breath of fresh air for many years.
“You have been one step ahead of everyone and now they are just catching up!
“However, please stop this anti-reform rhetoric, we are the only credible party to replace Labour and by having multiple parties on the right we are in big danger of letting a Green/Labour coalition in through the back door!
“Let’s unite the right.”
In a post responding to a journalist that reported how “convicted fraudster Tommy Robinson” had been released from jail, Crandon lashed out saying: “If only you spent half as much time protesting against Muslim grooming gangs as you do against the likes of tommy Robinson these young innocent girls might have had their lives back alot [sic] sooner?
“It’s people like you who are twisted!! It’s not ‘racist’ to ask questions?”
In a post published in 2019, which tagged Reform’s leader Nigel Farage, Crandon described himself as a “big admirer of Tommy”.
He wrote: “The big mistake UKIP made was to let the likes of tommy Robinson into the party.
“I am a big admirer of tommy and think he’s done some great things but his past will always come back to haunt him unfortunately, he would of been better off encouraging his base to vote UKIP.”
In 2025, when British Muslim boxer Ty Mitchell confronted Robinson in Dubai, branding him a “racist rat” and pushing him, Crandon shared footage of the incident saying: “What absolute prick Ty Mitchell is.
“Once Tommy owned him with facts he resorted to violence.”
In recent weeks, Crandon has also directed abuse at Reform Watch founder Jack Dart after he criticised Danny Tommo, founder of the anti-immigration group Patriot Platform.
Dart had described Tommo as a “thug” and a “criminal” who “should be arrested immediately”.
Crandon responded saying: “Shut up you tart!”
Similarly, when a journalist reporting on a far-right rally in London wrote that many protesters were already on their third lager, Crandon responded: “Shut up you tart lol”.
When violent protests broke out in Southampton over the summer following the death of university student Henry Nowak, Crandon published a number of posts in support of those arrested.
In one post, the Reform hopeful downplayed the crimes of protester Daniel Frost, claiming he had been jailed merely “for pushing a bin at police officers”.
However, the Crown Prosecution Service said 44-year-old Frost had thrown a chair and two bins towards a line of officers and was also seen wearing a rope with a carabiner and bolt around his neck, which he removed and wrapped around his hand to fashion a makeshift weapon.
A Welsh Labour source said: “While Nigel Farage was busy dismissing ITV’s exposé of more racist and misogynistic behaviour in his party as ‘a few bad apples,’ his colleagues in Caerphilly were announcing a Tommy Robinson supporter as a candidate in Risca East.
“If they had any decency, Reform UK would block Darren Crandon from standing and condemn his social media comments.
“Simply dismissing this as another ‘bad apple’ is not good enough. The people of Wales deserve better.”
Crandon has established a reputation as a prolific social media troll, routinely abusing those he disagrees with through childish insults, poo and clown emojis and foul language.
When asked on X why he wasn’t standing in the Senedd election in May, Crandon claimed it was because he had a “successful career” and loved “winding up lefties” on social media “too much”.
On X, he does not post under his full name, but uses the name “Brunte”.
In a comment aimed at the UK’s first Black MP Diane Abbott, Crandon wrote: “Nothing to do with the colour of her skin but everything to do with the fact she’s thick as shit!!!”
In another remark aimed at Labour MP Jess Phillips, the Reform hopeful described her as “thick as dog shit”.
Sharing an image of Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch and Shadow Home Office minister Chris Philp wearing police uniforms, Crandon wrote: “Looks like a shit remake of the Bill.”
In another post, Crandon called for “Fuck Mark Drakeford” to be sung in football stadiums in Wales.
He also described police cars with rainbow flags as “a bit of a piss take”.
When former Health Secretary Matt Hancock posted a photo of himself receiving the Covid jab in 2021, Crandon commented: “Bet that’s not the first prick you have had.”
Crandon also sent a comment to MP for Perth and Kinross-shire Pete Wishart branding him an “absolute prick”.
Responding to a recent post by Prime Minister Andy Burnham joking about the different local names for a bread roll, Crandon wrote: “Who gives a fucking shit what that’s called!!”
In another post he described an exposé by a Welsh journalist as: “Horse shit”.
In a post to X in May featuring a photograph of Crandon with a can of booze on a train, he described Brighton as a “shit hole”.
In post published on New Year’s Day, Crandon shared a still of London’s firework display saying: “Just watched the woke London New Year Fireworks Display ‘presented by the Mayor of London’ fuck off!
“Roll on when Reform runs this country and we can have a good old fashioned British knees up Fireworks Display.”
Crandon has also expressed anger online at the UK’s support of Ukraine.
In February, he wrote: “Wonder if Ukraine can send us some of our money back so we can fix our roads.”
In a comment to Labour MP Louise Sandher-Jones, Crandon wrote: “North east Derbyshire must be so proud you taking away winter fuel payments and giving to Ukraine to fight a war we have nothing to do with.”
Nation.Cymru asked Reform UK if the party was aware that Crandon was a Tommy Robinson supporter.
We did not receive a response.
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Reform have a type.
farage vetting working then, get the extreme right racists in.
So Reform do a great vetting job once again! Or perhaps there literally is no vetting procedure and you just have to have far right material on your social media page to qualify. Who needs the monster raving looney party – when you can just have Reform instead!!