Conservative leader Rishi Sunak said he was “hurt” and “angry” after a Reform UK campaigner called him a racist term.
Confidential recordings published by Channel 4 show a campaigner running to get Reform UK chief Nigel Farage elected as MP for Clacton, using racial slurs towards the Prime Minister – who is of Indian origin. Has been used.
Reform UK said those making “unacceptable comments” would not be part of Mr Farage’s marketing campaign.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Sunak noted that “both my daughters have seen and heard reformists who campaigned for Nigel Farage” and use racist language towards them.
“It hurts. And it makes me angry,” he said.
He added, “Mr Faraz has some questions to answer.”
“When you see Reform candidates and campaigners using racist and misogynistic language and ideas without challenge, I think it tells you something about the culture within the Reform Party.”
Responding to the comments, Mr Sunak mimicked the racist terminology, saying: “I do it on purpose and I hate doing it.
“I chose my words deliberately and I hate to repeat them, absolutely hate to repeat them but I also think it’s important to explain what it is and be clear about what it is.”
Essex Police have confirmed they are carrying out an “urgent assessment” of the comments made by reform campaigners in the Channel 4 footage to “establish whether any criminal offenses have been committed”.
The footage, broadcast by Channel 4, apparently shows racist and Islamophobic abuse being shouted by Andrew Parker, who has been identified as a campaigner for Mr Farage.
Mr Parker told an undercover reporter that he had “always been a Tory voter” but that he was “angry” at Mr Sunak, who he mentioned used racial slurs.
Mr Parker is also heard describing Islam as “the most disgusting sect” and suggesting that people being recruited into the army could be “through taking photographs on small boats bringing illegal immigrants into the United Kingdom”. “Target practice” should be done.
At one stage Mr Parker tells citizens that reform could mean “kicking all the Muslims out of the mosques and turning them into Wetherspoons”.
During the campaign, he advises the undercover reporter to be mindful of the “illegal” time period when discussing immigration, especially when addressing non-white families.
Before the newsletter of the photographs, Mr Parker made a comment to Channel 4 claiming “Neither Nigel Farage personally nor the Reform Party is aware of my personal views on immigration”.
Mr Parker noted: “I have never discussed immigration with Nigel Farage or the Reform Party and any comments I made during those recordings are my own personal views on any subject on which I have commented .
“I would therefore like to apologize to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views have caused them a bad impression and brought them into disrepute as that was not my intention.”
Mr Farage claimed Channel 4’s secret filing was a “complete fabrication”, with Mr Parker a hired actor.
He initially condemned the comments as “appalling” and said that anyone making “reprehensible” comments “will no longer be with the campaign”.
But speaking to the BBC, Mr Farage said the Channel 4 report about Mr Parker’s behavior was “not true”.
He said Mr Parker “brought an endless stream of condemnation”, adding, “Nobody speaks like that, it went on and on.”
“I looked at his website, I watched some videos, he’s a very good spoken actor… but he does what he calls “tough speaking”. From Momnet he came to the office and he leaned over and talked to me. He talks tough. He started behaving as soon as he came to the office.”
Responding to Mr Faraz’s comments, Channel 4 News said: “We firmly stand behind our rigorous and methodical impartial journalism which speaks for itself.
“We first met Mr Parker at the Reform UK Party headquarters, where he was a Reform Party campaigner.
“We did not pay the Reform UK campaigner or anyone else in this report. Mr Parker was not known to Channel 4 News and was filmed secretly through an undercover operation.”
Mr Parker told the PA news agency that his comments were “traditional methods of pub communication”.
Mr Parker said, “I’m not racist now. I’ve had Muslim girlfriends.”
He said he made the comment “in the heat of the moment” because he was being “provoked” – and when asked if he would like to apologise, he said: “Of course I’m sorry. There were things that everyone says.”
He says he has “a lot of Pakistani friends” and “Muslim friends”, and that he is “tired” of being asked about the footage.
The secret recording shows conversations between Reform UK organisers, including a Channel 4 man called George Jones – a long-time party activist who organizes events for Mr Farage.
In the footage Mr Jones refers to the Pride flag on a police car as the “fallen flag”.
He repeatedly suggests that members of the LGBT+ community are pedophiles and criticizes police attending Pride.
He further says that, if Reform forms a future government in the UK, “our police officers will be paramilitary, they will not be police” and that they should “bring back the noose”.
Speaking to ITV’s Loose Women, Mr Farage called the comments “vulgar, drunken and wrong” and claimed the group’s comments were made “a long time ago”.
The BBC has contacted Reform UK to clarify who has been expelled.
You will find the full list of applicants for the Clacton constituency Right here.
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