Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has repeated his assertion that footage showing racist comments apparently made by one of his party's activists was a "set-up".
He faced angry questions from a BBC Question Time audience over a Channel 4 broadcast which showed Andrew Parker, a canvasser for Reform UK, using a racist term about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Mr Farage described the comments as a "tirade of invective abuse" but suggested the man may have been paid.
Challenged on other comments made by Reform UK candidates, Mr Farage said he "wouldn't want anything" to do with them and said he had withdrawn his support.
Appearing ahead of Mr Farage on the same programme, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay condemned Mr Parker's comments as "horrific" and said it was "a stark reminder of the future we could be heading for if people back Reform at the election".
Asked about comments made by some of his own candidates, he said concerns would be properly investigated.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Sunak said the comments in the Channel 4 footage hurt adding: "It makes me angry."
He said his two daughters "have to see and hear Reform people 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, Mr Parker was also heard describing Islam as "the most disgusting cult out" and suggesting army recruits should carry out “target practice” by shooting at small boats bringing illegal migrants to the UK.
In a statement, Mr Parker said he wanted to "apologise profusely to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views have reflected badly on them and brought them into disrepute as this was not my intention".
Essex Police have said they are "urgently assessing" comments in the programme "to establish if there are any criminal offences".
The subject came up as the first question on the Question Time Leaders' Special when an audience member asked: "What is it about your party that attracts racists?"
Mr Farage argued that he had done more to drive out the far-right than any living person in British politics.
"I took on the BNP just over a decade ago. I said to their voters, if this is a protest vote but you don't support their racist agenda, don't vote for them, vote for me, destroyed them."
He went on to reiterate claims he made earlier in the day that Mr Parker was an actor who had an alter ego and suggested it was "a political setup of astonishing proportions".
"This was designed to hurt us, and sadly some people believe it."
Mr Parker was approached by the BBC about Mr Farage's remarks but did not want to comment.
Channel 4 News said it stood by its "rigorous and duly impartial journalism" adding that it met Mr Parker for the first time at Reform UK party headquarters and had not paid him any money.
Mr Farage was subsequently asked about other comments made by Reform UK candidates including Edward Oakenfull who wrote offensive social media posts about the IQ of sub-Saharan Africans. Mr Oakenfull has told the BBC his comments had been "taken out of context".
Mr Farage said he disowned the candidates in question adding: "I want nothing to do with them."
"You get people in all parties saying bad things and wrong things," he said, arguing it was partly the consequence of having to find candidates quickly following the PM's surprise calling of a general election for July.
Parties can, and have, withdrawn support from their candidates during this election campaign but is too late to stop them appearing on the ballot paper.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay was also asked about comments made by some of his candidates in relation to the conflict in Gaza, including one who compared Hamas to French resistance fighters in World War Two.
Mr Ramsay said he didn't support those views adding that any concerns would be "properly investigated through the right channels in the party" - saying that those channels were separate from the leadership.
"Sadly all parties have had candidates who were selected in this election who have no longer gone forward," he said.
Police in Tenerife have called for more volunteers to take part in a mass search to comb the expanse of rocky wilderness where Jay Slater disappeared.
The 19-year-old from Lancashire was last heard from on the morning of Monday 17 June when he texted a friend to say he had no water and only 1% battery left on his phone.
Slater had been on holiday with friends and had gone back to a rented house in a rural part of the island with people he had met at a festival.
As the search for the apprentice bricklayer entered its 12th day, Tenerife police urged those willing to volunteer to register to take part in a planned search on Saturday of the rocky area close to where he went missing.
Tenerife’s Civil Guard police chief, Angel Sanz Coronado, said: “Following the disappearance on 17 June of the young 19-year-old British man in the area of Masca, belonging to the municipality of Buenavista del Norte, the Civil Guard is prepared to carry out a mass search.
“Given that it is a steep, rocky area, full of uneven terrain and with many ravines, tracks and trails, we request the collaboration of all those volunteer associations that can help in this planned search that is intended to be carried out in a directed and coordinated way.
“This massive search will begin on Saturday 29 June at 09:00 hours. A meeting point will be established at the Mirador de la Cruz de Hilda in Masca to start the search in a logical and orderly way along the many paths and ravines that are found in Masca.”
David Cameron, the UK foreign secretary, said he was “thinking of and worrying” about Slater and that consular assistance was being given to the family.
On a campaign visit on Thursday to Rolls-Royce in Barnoldswick, Lancashire, Lord Cameron said: “Obviously I am thinking of and worrying about the family and this young man. Consular officials are there in Tenerife talking to the family, talking to the local authorities there and desperately keen that we make progress and find out what’s happened.”
The Masca gorge, where the search is taking place, has already been searched by police with dogs and by helicopters and drones, which turned up no trace of Slater.
He is not the first person to disappear in the area and locals said it could take months for the bodies of missing people to be found.
Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, who has been on the island searching for her son for more than a week, said she was not losing hope that he would be found alive.
A GoFundMe page set up for the search for Slater surpassed £40,000 on Friday, and Duncan said the money would be used for mountain rescue, accommodation and food expenses.
In an update on the page, which was started by Slater’s friend, she wrote: “I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay. Additionally, since our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will also use the funds to cover accommodation and food expenses.
“I’m surrounded by wonderful people who are by my side but far from their loved ones, so we’ll also be using part of these funds to fly them to Tenerife so we can support each other during these dark times.”
The Gambling Commission has spoken to the prime minister’s chief of staff as a witness in connection with bets allegedly placed on the date of the general election, it has been reported.
The BBC said Liam Booth-Smith was interviewed by the regulator last week to clarify who may have known about the date of the general election before it was announced.
The Gambling Commission investigation is focused on allegations of cheating, while Scotland Yard will lead on what is likely to be a much smaller number of cases where there could be additional offences such as misconduct in public office.
Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes said: “We are focused on an investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the general election.
“Our enforcement team has made rapid progress so far and will continue to work closely with the Metropolitan police to draw this case to a just conclusion.”
Rishi Sunak has withdrawn Tory support for his former parliamentary aide Craig Williams’s bid to be returned as MP for the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr seat, after he admitted having a “flutter” on the election date.
During a campaign visit in Derbyshire, Sunak was repeatedly asked whether he had confided in Mr Williams ahead of his surprise announcement of a summer election. Speaking to broadcasters, the prime minister said: “I’ve been clear about this. I’m furious to have learned about these allegations.
“We’ve initiated independent inquiries of our own, because I don’t have access to the Gambling Commission’s detail. You’ll recognise that while there are ongoing independent investigations, it’s just not right for me to say anything more about that.”
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Labour has “no plans” to raise any taxes should it win the election, the shadow Treasury minister has said.
Speaking to GB News, Darren Jones criticised the government for being wasteful with public finances during the Covid pandemic.
He said: “Procurement rules need to be followed even during a pandemic. It would not have happened under Labour.”
Jones said Labour would raise funds by closing tax loopholes. We have no plans to raise any other taxes because we don’t need to,.”
The Gambling Commission has spoken to the prime minister’s chief of staff as a witness in connection with bets allegedly placed on the date of the general election, it has been reported.
The BBC said Liam Booth-Smith was interviewed by the regulator last week to clarify who may have known about the date of the general election before it was announced.
The Gambling Commission investigation is focused on allegations of cheating, while Scotland Yard will lead on what is likely to be a much smaller number of cases where there could be additional offences such as misconduct in public office.
Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes said: “We are focused on an investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the general election.
“Our enforcement team has made rapid progress so far and will continue to work closely with the Metropolitan police to draw this case to a just conclusion.”
Rishi Sunak has withdrawn Tory support for his former parliamentary aide Craig Williams’s bid to be returned as MP for the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr seat, after he admitted having a “flutter” on the election date.
During a campaign visit in Derbyshire, Sunak was repeatedly asked whether he had confided in Mr Williams ahead of his surprise announcement of a summer election. Speaking to broadcasters, the prime minister said: “I’ve been clear about this. I’m furious to have learned about these allegations.
“We’ve initiated independent inquiries of our own, because I don’t have access to the Gambling Commission’s detail. You’ll recognise that while there are ongoing independent investigations, it’s just not right for me to say anything more about that.”
Education secretary Gillian Keegan has said there are “so many” undecided voters before polling day on 4 July.
She told GB News: “I think all of us are out every day knocking on doors, all of us are saying the same thing – I was talking to a colleague yesterday – there are so many voters who are undecided and, of course, what’s happening in the polls is everyone is trying to anticipate what they’ll do, there’s all kinds of algorithms trying to anticipate that, but what we’re doing is going out on the doorstep.
“What is clear is many of these voters have not decided to go for another party. Some have, but not many have, and that’s what we’re finding on the doorstep, so this last week is crucially important, you should never take the voters for granted, none of us ever do.”
Asked about whether Reform UK has rattled the Tories given its showing in the polls, Keegan said: “What actually shows up a lot about the Reform party is some of their disgraceful comments – either their racist comments or their comments about women, his [Farage’s] comments about Putin have cut through, a few people do mention that.”
Unless the polls are wildly inaccurate, the Conservative party is heading towards a catastrophic defeat in the coming election.
All across the rich world, voters are angry at their governments – they blame politicians for a burst of inflation that happened almost everywhere and is now subsiding almost everywhere, including in the UK. But the Conservatives deserve defeat more than most: they took power 14 years ago promising to deliver responsible policies and economic success. Instead they have presided over economic stagnation and a collapse in public services.
Why has Conservative governance gone so badly? It is natural to blame Brexit, which did indeed increase trade frictions and therefore surely had a negative effect on British real income. However, Brexit has not had the disastrous effects some predicted, and has somewhat perversely led to a rise rather than a fall in immigration, especially of the highly skilled.
In fact, the roots of Britain’s poor economic performance are older and deeper than Brexit. Though many bad decisions undoubtedly contributed, one central cause was the way David Cameron and George Osborne gratuitously embraced fiscal austerity when they came to power after the global financial crisis.
Read more:
In February 2020, with the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader heating up, Keir Starmer’s office received a helping hand.
Peter Coates, the head of the dynasty behind Stoke-based online gambling company Bet365, donated £25,000 to Starmer’s office.
Coates and the Bet365 group had been regular donors to Labour until 2015, to the tune of £490,000, but the money dried up in the Corbyn years, when Bet365 turned its attention to stopping Brexit, handing £512,500 to the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU.
The donation was a clear sign that the gambling industry spigot could easily be turned on again.
Now, of the 12 most recent political donations by the industry and its executives, all have gone to Labour – a total of just under £400,000 stretching back to March 2020 – according to Electoral Commission records.
But that river of cash does not just indicate Labour’s position as the likely winner of the 4 July general election. It also illustrates the deep-rooted ties between the Labour party and the £11bn-a-year gambling sector.
Here are a few of the key campaign events coming up today:
Both SNP leader John Swinney and Labour leader Keir Starmer will be appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning at 7.30am and 8.30am respectively.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak will be visiting a school in Teesside at 11.30am.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey will visit a community hub in St Neots, Cambridgeshire at around 2.45pm.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will be at a rally in Hamilton at about 10am.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney and deputy first minister Kate Forbes to attend SNP campaign event in Edinburgh at about 9.30am.
Davey will take part in a BBC General Election interview at 7.30pm and Reform UK Nigel Farage and Green party co-leader Adrian Ramsay will appear on a BBC Question Time leaders’ special at 8pm.
Rishi Sunak’s chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith has been interviewed as a witness by the Gambling Commission over allegations of bets made on the date of the general election, the BBC reports.
Booth-Smith spoke to the regulator last week, the broadcaster reported, adding that sources had emphasised that he was not a suspect and had not placed any bets himself.
A few pics from Wednesday’s campaign trail:
TheMetropolitan police have indicated that the dropped Conservative candidate Craig Williams could come under the scope of a criminal investigation into betting on the election that has overshadowed Rishi Sunak’s campaign.
The Guardian’s Pippa CrerarandRob Davies report:
Scotland Yard will investigate any suspicious bets that could represent a misconduct in public office offence, while the Gambling Commission will continue to look at whether betting rules were broken.
The prime minister repeatedly refused to say whether he told Williams, his closest parliamentary aide, about the date of the election, wrongly claiming he could prejudice the watchdog’s inquiry.
The Tories have withdrawn the party’s support for Williams’ campaign to be returned as the MP for the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr seat, after he admitted having a “flutter” on the election date.
In the beating sunshine deep in the heart of one of the Conservatives’ safest Midlands seats, Wes Streeting is slapping on factor 50 for another afternoon in pursuit of a historic Labour majority. It is in these safe seats where it will be seen whether the extinction-level predictions for the Tories are accurate.
Streeting, often named as a potential future Labour leader, has spent his entire career as a campaigner deeply involved in local organising. He is in demand from candidates partly because he is such a comfortable doorstep activist, who bangs on doors with the vigour normally reserved for use by police officers or bailiffs.
The party’s message this week is an all-out war on complacency. But Streeting says he is genuinely encountering far more undecided voters than he had anticipated and that he has not seen the Labour landslide the polls have predicted. “I don’t think they take into account the millions of undecided voters who will ultimately decide whether there is a Labour government,” he said.
The FT: Top-rate taxpayer numbers to exceed 1mn as threshold freezes swell coffers
The Times: Shoot illegal migrants, said Reform campaigner
The Daily Telegraph: Farage is a Putin appeaser, says Sunak
The I: Private school fees VAT in Reeves’ first Budget but delayed until 2025 – and loophole closed
The National: Sarwar - Labour candidate lied about helping Tories at 2019 election:
The Daily Mirror: This is why we need to vote Labour: Tory NHS neglect highlighted…as striking docs say they’ll talk to Keir
The Daily Mail: Poll that shows it’s not too late to stop Starmer supermajority
The Daily Record has an interview with former Countdown host Carol Vordeman, who, it says, has “done sums to show how tactical voting can ensure party’s number is up”. The headline is, We can reduce Tories to rubble:
A bit more on Nigel Farage’s response to remarks made by Reform UK candidates, courtesy of PA:
At a £5-a-head event on the campaign trail in Boston, Lincolnshire, Farage said:
We’ve had one or two candidates that have said things they shouldn’t have said. In most cases they’re just speaking like ordinary folk.
“They’re not part of the mainstream political Oxbridge speak, we understand that. In some cases one or two people let us down and we let them go.
“Well, compare that to the international price fixing and betting ring that is the modern day Conservative Party.”
He made his remarks moments after Channel 4 News broadcast an undercover investigation into Reform UK’s Clacton campaign, where Farage is contesting the seat against Conservative incumbent Giles Watling.
Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s live elections coverage with me, Helen Livingstone.
This morning’s top story: a Reform UK activist in the constituency where Nigel Farage is standing has been secretly filmed making extremely racist comments about Rishi Sunak, as well as using Islamophobic, and other offensive language, the Guardian’s Peter Walker reports.
Farage said he was “dismayed” by the views expressed by Andrew Parker, a Reform canvasser, who was filmed as part of an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News.
Parker also said asylum seekers should be shot as “target practice”.
In a statement to Channel 4 News, Parker said Farage and Reform were not aware of his views, and he was sorry if they “have reflected badly on them and brought them into disrepute”.
The channel also secretly filmed George Jones, a longtime party activist who organises events for Farage, making homophobic comments, calling the Pride flag “degenerate”.
Debbie Duncan, 55, announced on Thursday that she is withdrawing some of the money raised in the GoFundMe to put towards the search efforts, as she vowed the teenager’s loved ones will not lose hope and will return home with him.
It comes as the local mayor of the town of Santiago del Teide, Emilio Jose Navarro, said Spanish police have spoken to several people who believe they may have seen the 19-year-old watching Euro 2024 matches after his last contact with friends.
Police are examining grainy CCTV footage from the town, which is around three-and-a-half miles from the mountainous Rural de Teno park – his last known location – to determine whether it is a sighting of the apprentice bricklacker.
The image, shared by the family to media outlets, shows a person walking through the town and was captured around 10 hours after Jay's phone last pinged.
Mother of son missing for weeks in Bristol ‘feels desperately sorry’ for Jay Slater’s family
Family and friends are attempting to keep Mr O’Sullivan’s story in the public eye by launching their own website, fundraising, and changing their Facebook profile pictures to his missing poster.
A glimmer of hope for Jay Slater’s family - an Irish tourist who was found after vanishing in Tenerife
Reports from last year tell of how Ryan Cooney, who was aged 28 at the time, was last seen leaving his hotel Paraiso del Sol apartments in Playa de las Americas on 9 November 2023.
The Independent’s Holly Evans reports from Tenerife:
TikTok explorer says he is meeting with Jay Slater’s family
Paul Arnott, 29, who runs the TikTok account Down the Rapids is among those who has been searching for Jay Slater after he disappeared last Monday. Since being in Tenerife, he has posted 66 videos with each racking up hundreds of thousands of views.
His efforts have attracted the interest of the teenager’s family, who have reportedly contacted him and arranged a meeting on Thursday.
“I’m meeting the family today,” he told the Telegraph. “I’ve been speaking with Brad’s mum, Rachel. They wanted to bring me food but I said no.
“They said they wanted to meet me. They said they’re really proud of what I’m doing.”
Trolls making our nightmare worse, says family friend
The mother of Jay Slater’s best friend has told the BBC that a deluge of online trolling has added to their “living nightmare”.
Rachel Hargreaves, 34, who is in Tenerife with Mr Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, is the mother of Brad, who travelled to the Canary Islands with Mr Slater.
Ms Hargreaves, a chef from Accrington in Lancashire, said a troll even impersonated her late mother, who died eight months ago.
“The picture of my mum is an old one but it was on my Facebook and somehow they have got their hands on it,” she said.
“We’re living the worst nightmare you can live and this does not help. I’m a strong person and that affected me. Things don’t normally get to me.”
‘There isn’t much here’: Exploring the isolated Tenerife landscape of Jay Slater’s last known location
As the desperate search for missing British teenager Jay Slater continues, The Independent’s Holly Evans has travelled to Tenerife to bring readers the latest in the ongoing investigation.
The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared in Tenerife over a week ago following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus.
He had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before his disappearance.
The location where Mr Slater’s phone pinged last Monday (17 June) is in an area of difficult terrain, with a narrow path and dramatic drops into the mountains.
As the desperate search for missing British teenager Jay Slater continues, The Independent’s Holly Evans has travelled to Tenerife to bring readers the latest in the ongoing investigation. The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared in Tenerife over a week ago following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus. He had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before his disappearance. The location where Mr Slater’s phone pinged last Monday (17 June) is in an area of difficult terrain, with a narrow path and dramatic drops into the mountains. Today (25 June), four police cars can be seen in the background.
The nightclub where Jay Slater spent his last evening before disappearing
Holly Evans reports live from Tenerife:
Located on Veronica’s Strip in Playa de Las Americas, the nightclub where Jay Slater spent his evening before going missing stands at the end of a long run of busy bars.
The majority of them open until 5am, they are currently inundated with British teenagers celebrating their A-Levels, with cheap drinks and package spirit deals available all down the street.
Drugs are easily accessible, with groups selling Class A, cannabis and balloons along the pavement.
Spanish locals know little about Jay Slater disappearance
Holly Evans reports from the scene in Tenerife:
Despite the interest among British press and tourists, Spanish locals appear to know very little about the disappearance. While Jay Slater’s photo has been plastered onto ATMs and bus stops, the Spanish police have made very few comments on the case and not much is known about the progression of the investigation.
While a group of British people from Manchester on holiday told The Independent last night that they had been checking the Facebook group chats daily, locals appear confused by the press attention.
Adela, a cafe worker in the tourist area of Los Cristianos, shook her head and simply said: “People always get lost in the mountains if they’re not careful, it just happens.”
A glimmer of hope for Jay Slater’s family - an Irish tourist who was found after vanishing in Tenerife
Reports from last year tell of how Ryan Cooney, who was aged 28 at the time, was last seen leaving his hotel Paraiso del Sol apartments in Playa de las Americas on 9 November 2023.
The Independent’s Holly Evans reports from Tenerife:
Mapped: Jay Slater’s last known movements in Tenerife as search for missing teenager continues
Jay Slater’s last known movements have been mapped as the desperate search for the missing teenager entered its second week in Tenerife.
Police, sniffer dogs, firefighters and volunteers were among those who gathered again on Saturday to continue with the hunt as fears grow for the British teenager.
Tributes have poured in for Daniel Duffield - a young paramedic who starred in Channel 4's 999: On the Frontline. Police have opened up a murder investigation after the 24-year-old's body was discovered at a home in Hednesford, in Cannock, Staffordshire, earlier this week, alongside the body of 22-year-old Lauren Evans, of Bridgend, South Wales. The pair have yet to be formally identified.
Detective Superintendent Nicki Addison, of Staffordshire's Major Investigations Department, said: "My thoughts are very much with the families at this time. I know this news has understandably shaken the local community.
"I'd like to reassure everyone that we've got a specialist team of officers working extensive hours to fully investigate what happened and support the families of those affected. I would like to thank everyone who has already come forward with information and ask that people continue to get in touch if they've got any information that can help us."
In a heartbreaking tribute shared via Facebook, Daniel's close friend and fellow paramedic Ellie shared that she is 'still trying to come to terms', revealing that she had spoken with him over the phone shortly before he died. They had been due to meet up together this week.
Ellie, who appeared in the Channel 4 doc alongside Daniel, wrote: "Never in a million years did I think I'd have to sit and write this and yet I'm still trying to come to terms with it. I just want to express how special you [were] to me, not only my best friend at work and the best crew mate but one of my best friends who had a massive impact on day-to-day life, the most kind-hearted person who always had time to help others, who made me laugh every day and always would pick up the phone whenever I was in need."
She continued: "Dan I can't believe you're actually gone. We were meant to go out together this week and I was looking forward to seeing you. Even the phone call we had this morning an hour before you [were] gone I'll never forget, love you forever Dan."
'Rough patch'
In a separate post, another friend, Jasmin Steed, wrote that Daniel had been going through a 'rough patch', remarking: "You seemed happy. even though you were not.
"I know you were going through a rough patch but you always seemed like you had a grip of it. We would talk it out and you would post pictures and videos of you smiling, and travelling all over the world for concerts and shows.
Lauren Evans (Image: facebook)
"You seemed happy, even though you were not. And I keep replaying the last few months wondering if I could've done more. So this is everybody's reminder that a smile can hide so much pain. Please check in on your mates regularly. I know we all pretend we live important busy lives but really, nothing is more important than the people around us.
"Dan, you saved so many lives both as a paramedic and as a friend, I'm so sorry we couldn't save yours. You held a special place in my heart, but now part of it will forever be broken. I hope you manage to find the happiness you brought to everyone else."
Beloved pet dog
Taking to Facebook, Daniel's heartbroken sister Chels vowed to look after her late brother's beloved dog Milly, who she described as his 'baby'. Uploading a clip of adorable Milly, Chels promised: "Daniel's baby Milly don't worry brother we are looking after her she was a massive part of you so she's a massive part of us."
"She's safe with us I promise we will look after her for you. Wish you was still here I'm so heartbroken you've left us all I will never come to terms with it. Every day is going to be a struggle we all miss you and Milly misses you loads. Love you always untill we meet again."
Mr Parker, who was filmed as part of an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News, said: “I’ve always been a Tory voter. But what annoys me is that f****** p*** we’ve got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. He’s just wet. F****** useless”.
Mr Farage said he was “dismayed” by the comments and claimed the activist had been removed from his party’s local campaign.
Nigel Farage said he was ‘dismayed’ by the racist comments and the activist had been removed from his local campaign (Getty Images)
Mr Parker also went on to suggest army recruits should carry out “target practice” on migrants arriving on small boats across the English Channel.
Talking to a prospective voter on the doorstep, he said: “You’ve got Deal, haven’t you. The place near Dover. Army recruitment. Get the young recruits there, yeah, with guns on the f****** beach, target practice. F****** just shoot them.
“That is what the Greeks done. You know about that. The Greeks shot a load. Ringfence Bradfordstan. Round the f****** up. Do that f****** lot as well. And you’ve got these b******s running our country. You must be f****** joking mate.”
He later told a man who said he was a paramedic: “Do us a favour. You’re a paramedic. Any of that f****** lot get in your ambulance, just don’t put oxygen on the b******. Use something else. You know where I’m coming from.”
Long-time party activist George Jones, who organises events for Mr Farage, was also caught describing the Pride flag as “degenerate” and LGBT+ people “nonces”.
Long time party activist George Jones (right) described LGBT+ people as ‘nonces’ in the undercover footage (Channel 4 News)
In the covertly filmed exchange, Mr Jones reacted angrily when he saw a police car driving past a pub displaying an LGBT flag.
He said: “You see that f****** degenerate flag on the front bonnet? What are the old bill doing promoting that crap? They should be out catching nonces not promoting the fuckers.”
Going on to explain Reform’s criminal justice policies, he said the party would “bring back the noose” and added: “Our police officers will be paramilitaries, they won’t be police,” and that the party should “bring back the noose”.
On Thursday, Reform UK candidate Raymond Saint was dropped after it emerged that he had been on a list of members of the British National party.
The upstart party has been dogged by controversy, with pro-Hitler and pro-Putin comments made by a number of candidates over the last few months. Mr Farage blamed a third-party vetting company for failing to do its job properly.
Reform UK has been dogged by controversy, with pro-Hitler and pro-Putin comments made by a number of candidates over the last few months (Getty Images)
Ian Gribbin, who was standing in Bexhill and Battle, said Britain would have been “far better” off if it had “taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality” instead of fighting the Nazis.
Mr Farage told Channel 4 News: “I am dismayed by the reported comments of a handful of people associated with my local campaign, particularly those who are volunteers. They will no longer be with the campaign.
“The appalling sentiments expressed by some in these exchanges bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK policy. Some of the language used was reprehensible.”
Mr Parker told the broadcaster: “I would like to make it clear that neither Nigel Farage personally or the Reform Party are aware of my personal views on immigration.
“I would therefore like to apologise profusely to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views have reflected badly on them and brought them into disrepute as this was not my intention.”
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