The establishment ‘want us out of the picture’, says Nigel Farage after TV probe
Sam Russell, Press Association
Nigel Farage has suggested an undercover investigation which filmed Reform UK members using racist language was carried out “because the establishment frankly want us out of the picture”.
The party leader said one of the people filmed had previously been a Conservative councillor, and while Reform carries out vetting “you can’t vet people for what they say in the future”.
The ITV News investigation found councillors and candidates with Reform UK had used racist language.
In one excerpt, black children were referred to as “animals”, and another Reform member said his area had become “infested” with Asian families.
Mr Farage, speaking on a visit to Chelmsford in Essex on Thursday, said: “You can’t vet people for what they say in the future and of these people on ITV that have caused outrage, the worst of them by far was a Conservative councillor for years and years and years who joined us last year.
“I put it to you, if you went and spoke to hundreds of Conservative councillors and tried to provoke them you would find all sorts of things and all sorts of comments said.
“It’s just that you never will see an expensive investigation like that into the other parties because the establishment frankly want us out of the picture.”
He continued: “We deal appropriately always with people saying and doing bad things, no question about that.
“We vet much more heavily than the other parties, but you can’t vet against what somebody might say in the future, especially if they’re provoked in conversation.”
During a walkabout in Chelmsford a man told Mr Farage he was “out of order” for not attending the Clacton by-election count in August, which saw him retain his seat, while Count Binface finished second.
Mr Farage told the man, who said he used to be an activist: “I didn’t want to get punched.”
A woman who heckled Mr Farage from a distance was kept away by security staff, and the Reform UK leader did not engage with her comments.
He said of a poll earlier this week, which saw Reform UK drop to third behind Labour and the Tories: “The last couple of months you’ve got the whole of the Tory press promoting Kemi Badenoch as the saviour.
“We’ve had problems whether it’s ITV or Channel 4 or whatever it is.
“You know what, I’m here today in Chelmsford, we’re running the county council, we’re doing a good job, we’re building for the next general election, we’ve raised money, we’re reorganising and we will be back up in those polls, I have no doubt.”
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Nige is fumin his side were caught out, not that they said it.
One councillor suggesting if his daughter was a councillor he leches after his daughter would be bathed a lot. That should have the social services and specialist police kicking his door in.
There was vile hate and misogyny and suggested abuse.
Here is the link. 3:53 in the councillor says “phwoer, if she was my daughter it would still be bath night on a Thursday”
https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-14/inside-reform-councillors-extreme-and-racist-views-on-camera
And people wonder why they wear perv specs in the chamber.
“We deal appropriately always with people saying and doing bad things, no question about that.” Nice try-untrue Reform top brass could have taken action and dismissed these racists sometime ago when informed .by ITV. They could have just apologised, blamed it on poor vetting by a teenage Kent councillor and quickly moved on . For reasons best known to themselves they chose to bury it and shoot the messenger instead and threaten them with legal action Now that hasn’t woked quickly changed the narative Rotten to the core , There is a deep thread or racism running though Refom As… Read more »
This coming from a party which cleared itself of wrongdoing in a matter which is still under active criminal investigation. Then wheeled out Jaymey McIvor, who was kicked out of the Conservative Party for sending an unsolicited image of his genitals to someone, as a means of damage limitation. Who better to fight your corner than a repulsive predatory deviant?