Reform UK’s shadow health minister James Evans was grilled on BBC Question Time over the latest allegations of extreme racist views and language within the party
The racist accusations by a number of Reform UK members are set to feature in 90-minute film(Image: Getty Images)
Fiona Bruce held Reform UK to account tonight as she questioned Reform UK’s shadow health minister James Evans on the ITV undercover sting which has exposed extreme racist views and language within the party. The documenaty was described by Labour’s Stephen Kinnock as “stomach churning”.
Last night Fiona Bruce hosted BBC Question Time alongside with politicians, commentators and members of the public. On the panel: for Labour, the Welsh secretary Stephen Kinnock; the Conservatives’ shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies; Plaid Cymru’s deputy minister for social care Delyth Jewell; Reform UK’s shadow health minister James Evans; and the journalist and author George Monbiot.
Addressing the Reform UK allegations, Fiona Bruce said: “Reform has been in the news the last couple of days… thanks to an investigation by ITV. Yesterday what we saw in elected councillors were seriously extremely racist and misogynistic comments. And today we’re seeing what looked like failures in vetting and Nigel Farage has said that Reform has the best vetting process of any political party, in part because of problems before, and we’ve got someone who it appears on ITV tonight is being told delete posts supporting Tommy Robinson, who’s clearly on the far right, because that might do you a better job getting a councillor’s job. We’ve got someone who was told they failed vetting but then was allowed to go through. What’s your response to this?”
To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed.
He responded: “Let me be very clear, Reform UK condemns these comments. We are very clear that we do not want anyone in our party with extreme views who are racist, who are sexist. Nigel’s clear about that in conference, we don’t want these people in our party.
Fiona intervened: “So why are they still in your party?” He continued: ” We take action, we take action. We suspend people. We go through investigations.” Fiona interrupted again: “But why are they there in the first place? If you have got the best vetting procedures of any political party what are they doing there?”
He responded: ” Nigel is very clear, you can’t vet for someone’s personal views on what they’re going to say in the future.” To which Fiona interjected: “Is that not the point of it?”
Labour’s Stephen Kinnock said: “Nigel Farage said I think many times, and starting back in 2024, he was going to get rid of some the rotten apples out from the bottom of the barrel, but just look at what’s at the top of the barrel.”
Stephen went on to describe parts of the ITV documentary as “stomach churning”.
The racist accusations by a number of Reform UK members are set to feature in 90-minute film Undercover: A Year In Reform, Sunday 18th October at 10.20pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV & STV Player. Reform insist there has been no wrongdoing.
A Reform’s spokesperson said: “Not all individuals covertly recorded by ITV are members of Reform UK. Where members, activists and councillors have clearly behaved inappropriately, investigations have commenced. In some cases, there have been suspensions and due process must be followed.
“Reform UK has improved and prioritised its vetting procedures, but from time to time, a handful of individuals who do not share our values will initially make it through vetting. This is the same for all organisations.
“There is no room for racism in Reform UK. We always respect due process of investigations and whilst these are ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.”
BBC Question Time returns next week in Scunthorpe and the following week in Warwick.
