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- author, Kate Whannell
- Role, Political Correspondent
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 a BBC Question Time audience during a Channel 4 broadcast that showed Andrew Parker, a UK reform campaigner, using a racist term about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Mr Farage described the comments as a “series of indecent abuse” but suggested the man may have been paid.
In response to other comments made by Reform Party candidates in the UK, Farage said he “wants nothing to do” with them, adding that he had withdrawn his support for them.
On the same programme, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay condemned Parker’s comments as “appalling” and said they were “a stark reminder of the future we could be heading into if people support reform at the polls”.
When asked about comments made by some of his candidates, he said the concerns would be properly investigated.
He said his daughters “had to see and hear the reformist people who campaigned for Nigel Farage” using racist language against him.
He said Mr Farage had “some questions to answer”.
In addition to the abuse directed at the Prime Minister, Mr Parker was also heard describing Islam as the “most disgusting sect” and suggesting that army recruits should carry out “target training” by shooting at small boats carrying illegal immigrants to the UK.
In a statement, Parker said he wanted to “profoundly apologize to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views reflected poorly on them and damaged their reputation as that 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 anyone alive in British politics.
“I ran for the British National Party more than 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, and I will destroy them.”
He continued to reiterate claims he made earlier in the day that Mr Parker was an actor with an alter ego, and suggested this was a “political system of staggering proportions”.
“This is designed to hurt us, and it’s unfortunate that some people believe it.”
The BBC contacted Mr Parker about Farage’s comments, but he did not wish to comment.
Channel 4 News said it was committed to “accurate and impartial journalism”, adding that it had first met Mr Parker at the UK Reform Party headquarters and had not paid him any money.
Farage was then asked about other comments made by UK reform candidates including Edward Oakenfull who wrote offensive social media posts about the IQ of sub-Saharan Africans. Oakenful told the BBC his comments were “taken out of context”.
Mr Farage said he disavowed the candidates, adding: “I don’t want to have anything to do with them.”
“There are people in all parties who say bad things and wrong things,” he said, saying it was partly a result of having to find candidates quickly after the prime minister’s surprise call for a general election in July.
Parties can withdraw their support from their candidates during this election campaign, and it is too late to prevent them from appearing on the ballot.
Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the Green Party, was also asked about comments made by some of his candidates in relation to the conflict in Gaza, including one candidate who compared Hamas to French Resistance fighters in World War II.
Mr Ramsay said he did not support those views, adding that any concerns would be “properly investigated through the correct channels in the party” – saying those channels were separate from the leadership.
“Unfortunately, all parties have candidates who were selected in this election but are no longer able to move forward,” he said.
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