Anti-racism activists who disrupted Nigel Farage’s first Reform UK press conference since becoming an MP have said they plan to oppose the party at every opportunity.
Stand Up to Racism (SUTR), which claimed responsibility for the protest shortly after it took place, told i minority ethnic residents in Reform UK constituencies, particularly Muslim women and black people, were on high alert since the election.
During the election campaign, Reform UK suspended three candidates over racist, offensive and homophobic comments.
Mr Farage described some of the comments as “reprehensible” and said they “bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK policy”.
The former Ukip leader was elected in Clacton, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 25,000 to become an MP on his eighth attempt at joining the Commons.
Four other Reform UK MPs were elected to Parliament on 4 July, with the party gaining a 14.3 per cent share of the vote – it’s biggest success to date.
Reform UK chairman Richard Tice won in Boston and Skegness, Rupert Lowe was elected in Great Yarmouth and Lee Anderson – who defected to Reform from the Conservative Party in March – retained his Ashfield seat. After a recount and a majority of just 98 votes, James McMurdock became the Reform MP for Basildon South and East Thurrock.
Weyman Bennett, joint national secretary for Stand Up to Racism, claimed people in Clacton had reported increased racism during the general election campaign.
He said he would receive around one or two calls a month from supporters who had been racially abused while campaigning but that figure had spiked to around 20.
Mr Bennett said: “I’ve spoken to people in Clapton during the campaign, black people and ethnic minorities, who said that the level of racism has gone up.
“Everywhere Reform are growing, you’re getting hardened racist people who feel that their racism is being endorsed by significant people.”
Mr Bennett also claimed that SUTR activists running stalls had been subjected to racist abuse by Reform UK supporters, and the organisation was encouraging individuals impacted to report these incidents to the police.
“When we’ve had our stalls up, the people on there that are black and Asian have been racially abused,” he said.
Mr Farage was heckled at his victory press conference on 5 July, before seven people were escorted out of the central London venue where it was being held.
The Reform leader told the conference he plans to “professionalise” the party and rid it of “bad apples”.
It came after former Reform UK candidate for West Ham and Beckton, Georgie David, who left the party to support the Conservatives, said the vast majority of those standing for Reform in the general election were “racist, misogynistic and bigoted”.
Reform UK said it “strongly disagrees” with Ms David’s claims.
Her comments and departure from the party followed Liam Booth-Isherwood, who withdrew from representing Reform UK in Erewash, citing a “significant moral issue” within its ranks.
The defections came after three Reform candidates were suspended by the party after being accused of making offensive remarks during the election campaign.
Edward Oakenfull, who was standing for the party in Derbyshire Dales, posted derogatory comments about the IQ of sub-Saharan Africans on social media last year. He told the BBC the remarks had been taken out of context.
Robert Lomas, a former candidate in Barnsley North, said asylum seekers had it “in their DNA to lie” and that the “black people of Britain” should “get up off your lazy arses” and stop acting “like savages”, The Times reported. He has not commented on the claims.
Leslie Lilley, who had been standing for Reform UK in Southend East and Rochford, reportedly referred to people arriving on small boats as “scum” in a social media post, adding: “I hope your family get robbed, beaten or attacked.” He has not commented on the claims.
Asked about the comments during an appearance on BBC Question Time, Mr Farage said he wanted “nothing to do with them”.
Footage filmed by an undercover reporter for Channel 4 News showed a Reform UK canvasser, Andrew Parker, making racist, homophobic and Islamophobic comments.
In response, Reform said any individuals identified as “making unacceptable comments and holding those views are not welcome in our campaign”. Mr Parker told the programme “neither Nigel Farage personally or the Reform Party are aware of my personal views on immigration”.
Mr Farage described the comments as a “tirade of invective abuse” but said the canvasser filmed by Channel 4 News may have been a paid actor. Channel 4 disputes the claim and says the canvasser was not previously known.
Mr Bennett, who is “sickened” by the strides Reform UK made at the general election, said he believes “the whole barrel is rotten”.
Meanwhile, Mr Farage said his party’s membership now stands at 65,000. The figure is an increase of 25,000 since 8 June.
Asked if SUTR planned more protest action akin to the disruption at the 5 July press conference, Mr Bennett said: “Not only are we going to have similar action, wherever Reform meet publicly, we’re going to oppose them.
“At the moment, we still live under a democracy. So we’re going to speak up.”
He added that there were not enough voices in the media holding Reform UK accountable for what he called the “disgusting” behaviour of its candidates and members.
“We’re trying to say that you should make sure that racism is not made respectful, because I think it’s damaging to people’s lives,” Mr Bennett said.
“We didn’t have a group in Clacton until this happened,” he said. “I do think it’s a tragedy that we have to do this just for people to feel safe.”