- author, Kate Whannell
- Role, Political reporter
UK Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has reiterated that footage showing racist comments apparently made by one of his party’s activists was a “set-up”.
Johnson faced angry questions from the BBC’s Question Time audience during a Channel 4 broadcast that showed Andrew Parker, a reform advocate in the UK, using a racist term about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Mr Farage described the comments as a “series of vile abuse” but suggested the man may have been paid.
In response to other comments made by UK Reform Party candidates, Farage said he “didn’t want to have anything to do with” them, and added that he had withdrawn his support for them.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay, speaking to Farage on the same programme, condemned Parker’s comments as “appalling” and said they were a “stark reminder of the future we could be heading towards if people support electoral reform”.
When asked about comments made by some of his candidates, he said the concerns would be properly investigated.
He said his daughters “have to see and hear reformers who campaigned for Nigel Farage” using racist language against him.
He said Mr Farage had “some questions to answer”.
In addition to the slur directed at the Prime Minister, Parker was also heard describing Islam as “the most disgusting faith” and suggesting army recruits carry out “target training” by shooting at small boats bringing illegal immigrants to the UK.
In a statement, Parker said he wanted to “profoundly apologise to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views have reflected poorly on them and brought them into disrepute as this was not my intention”.
Essex Police said it was making an “urgent assessment” of the comments made in the program “to determine whether there are any criminal offences”.
Mr Farage claimed he had done more to expel the far right than any living person in British politics.
“I took on the BNP a little over a decade ago. I told their voters, if this is a protest vote but you don’t support their racist agenda, don’t vote for them, vote for me, I have destroyed them.”
He continued to reiterate his claims made earlier in the day that Mr Parker was an actor with an alter ego, suggesting this was a “political arrangement of staggering proportions”.
“This is designed to hurt us, and unfortunately some people believe it.”
The BBC tried to contact Mr Parker about Mr Farage’s comments, but he did not wish to comment.
Channel 4 News said it stood by its “rigorous and impartial journalism”, adding that it first met Parker at the headquarters of the British Reform Party and did not pay him any money.
Mr Farage was then asked about other comments made by Reform Party candidates, including Edward Okkenful, who made offensive social media posts about the intelligence of sub-Saharan Africans. Mr Okkenful told the BBC his comments had been “taken out of context”.
Mr Farage said he disavowed the candidates, adding: “I don’t want to have anything to do with them.”
“You find people in all parties saying bad things and wrong things,” he said, noting that this was partly a result of the need to find candidates quickly after the prime minister’s surprise call for a general election in July.
Parties can and have withdrawn their support for their candidates during this election campaign, but it is too late to prevent them from appearing on the ballot.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay was also asked about comments made by some of his candidates regarding the conflict in Gaza, including one who compared Hamas to French resistance fighters in World War II.
Mr Ramsay said he did not support these views, adding that any concerns “will be properly investigated through the correct channels in the party” – saying those channels are separate from the leadership.
“Unfortunately, all parties have candidates who were chosen in these elections but are no longer able to move forward,” he said.
