Nigel Farage was told by a senior Reform official that he was "protecting" a high-profile mayoral candidate accused of making racist comments about David Lammy, according to undercover footage revealed in an investigation by The Guardian and ITV. The revelations form part of a broader examination of the party that has exposed multiple instances of discriminatory language and conduct among its officials and candidates. The controversy has prompted a defence from Reform figures, with one MP claiming Farage has done more than "almost anybody" to stand against racism.
This report also draws on coverage by The Guardian.
The undercover investigation, conducted over an extended period, captured Farage in conversation with Ed Sumner, Reform's head of communications, discussing Chris Parry, a retired rear admiral selected to contest the Hampshire and the Solent mayoral election. When Sumner expressed concern about Parry's conduct, Farage resisted calls for his removal.
"You're protecting him,"Sumner told the Reform leader, to which Farage replied:
"It's showing a bit of … bit of sorrow. Look, 'I'm sorry' is probably a good thing to hear. Just take the fucking deal. Trouble is he's a rear admiral. That's the problem."
The party had maintained Parry as a candidate for months after it emerged that he had said the former foreign secretary should "go home to the Caribbean" in a previous year, and suggested that at least eight other politicians from minority ethnic backgrounds do not have a primary loyalty towards the UK. In the recorded conversation, Farage instructed Sumner to tell Parry that
"He must do it and move on … Tell him that from me."Sumner had previously been recorded telling another press officer that Parry was "clearly a racist" and stating
"He needs to go, I'm getting rid of him,"when the controversy first broke in December. However, Parry remained the candidate three weeks later, with Farage indicating at a press conference that the candidate could continue if he apologised.
Parry was ultimately suspended on 26 March after it was reported that he had described members of a Jewish neighbourhood watch group in dehumanising terms and likened them to "Islamists on horseback". When approached for comment, Parry referred to a statement given to ITV in which he said:
"I would urge people to go back to the original contexts and tweets to see what was said and why. They related to reparations and failures by the police and government. They will see I always exercise my right to criticise anyone in power or the public eye whom I judge to be acting against the interests of the British people."
What did the investigation reveal about women in the party?
The undercover investigation also captured Sarah Pochin, one of two female MPs for Reform, expressing frustration about the treatment of women within the party. Pochin, who represented Runcorn and Helsby, was recorded complaining that other party officials "are so fucking chauvinistic" and that "they just exclude you if you are a woman". When told that a new female press officer was starting work, she said:
"Oh thank fuck for that. God! We so need women press officers … I go out on all the shows and go: 'Oh no, it's lovely, oh they're all so welcoming.' Shit … they just exclude you if you're a woman. It's really tough being a girl with all of this alpha male shit going on."Pochin did not provide a statement when approached by ITV for comment.
How extensive were the problems uncovered?
The investigation extended far beyond the Parry case and Pochin's remarks. ITV's wider investigation recorded a Reform member describing Asian families as "infesting" an area and calling them "parasites"; another excerpt referred to black children as "animals." According to the Independent, the footage also captured a Reform figure calling for King Charles to be beheaded, claiming it was because he "is a Muslim." A number of councillors have already stood down after segments from the investigation aired on Wednesday, following revelations that they had made graphic threats of extreme violence and expressed racist and misogynistic views.
The undercover reporter joined Reform's Westminster headquarters in January 2026 and recorded conversations while working as a press officer. ITV's investigation covered Reform candidates and councillors across England and Wales during the May local elections and four by-election campaigns in 2025 and 2026. According to the Independent, councillors Alan Feeney and Chris Whelan had resigned from the party, with Feeney continuing as an independent councillor.
How has Reform responded to the allegations?
Reform issued a statement accusing ITV and Hardcash Productions, the company behind the documentary, of using "extreme methods of deception". The party claimed that the undercover journalist had been commissioned with altered identification documents, a false address, and false credentials to gain access to Reform's headquarters, computer systems, and to record employees. The statement added that the journalist had sought to obtain sensitive security information, travel arrangements, and financial information beyond the scope of the investigation.
Reform alleged that ITV had failed to address these concerns despite the conduct being drawn to their attention.
"This is at a time when Nigel Farage and other members of Reform are being targeted by individuals who wished them harm and caused a security issue which was documented during the course of the undercover investigation,"the party said. The statement concluded:
"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."
Reform said it had opened investigations into people featured in ITV's wider investigation; according to reports, those involved had either resigned or been suspended. When asked about the investigation, Farage said the ITV probe was conducted because "the establishment frankly want us out of the picture" and argued that Reform could not vet people for what they might say in the future.
How have Reform figures defended the party?
Reform MP Robert Jenrick sought to defend the party against the allegations by claiming that Nigel Farage had "probably done more than almost anybody to stand against racism and the far right." Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Jenrick, the party's Treasury spokesperson and MP for Newark, said:
"He is the most heavily scrutinised figure in British politics, and he's someone who's probably done more than almost anybody else to stand against racism and the far right, and to protect our politics from that over the course of my lifetime. And this documentary failed to besmirch his character, which presumably was his ultimate objective."
Farage has made repeated pledges over the last two years to rid Reform of "extremists" and "bigots" and introduce vetting. The party says it carries out vetting checks on everyone who wants to stand for election. Defending Reform's vetting policy on the Today programme, Jenrick argued that all political parties have problematic members.
"In my experience, all political parties have bad apples. I mean, you can see that's plain to see from the conduct of other political parties. In fact, Councillor Feeney, the one that you presented before I came online, was for a short time a Reform councillor, but for a much greater time a Conservative councillor."He added:
"We actually have very strong vetting, and we invest a huge amount in it, and it's improving all the time. I don't know what the vetting is like in every other political party. I can say in the Conservative party, because it was my former party, there is absolutely no vetting whatsoever by the central party for local councillors."
What has the political response been?
Bridget Phillipson, the Labour party chair, said the "latest shocking and deeply disturbing revelations go right to the top of Reform". She added:
"Nigel Farage needs to wake up and realise the buck stops with him. He also must urgently explain why he allegedly stood by a blatant racist instead of kicking him out of his party."
These revelations form part of a broader series of controversies affecting Reform. Earlier investigations had exposed apparent attempts to circumvent electoral law on foreign donations, leading to the suspension of senior officials and a criminal investigation by the Metropolitan Police into alleged breaches of electoral law and foreign funding allegations.
What happens next?
ITV's full documentary, Undercover: A Year in Reform, is scheduled to air on Sunday 18 October at 10:20pm on ITV1 and ITVX, according to ITV. The investigation represents one of the most significant examinations of the party's internal culture and conduct to date.
Key Facts
- An undercover ITV investigation captured Farage resisting calls from senior advisers to remove mayoral candidate Chris Parry, despite Parry having made racist remarks about David Lammy and other minority ethnic politicians
- Reform MP Sarah Pochin was recorded complaining that party officials are "chauvinistic" and exclude women from decision-making
- The investigation uncovered multiple instances of racist and violent language among Reform candidates and councillors, including calls for King Charles to be beheaded, leading several to resign or be suspended
- Reform accused ITV of using "extreme methods of deception" through the use of altered documents and false credentials to conduct the undercover reporting
- Reform MP Robert Jenrick defended Farage, claiming he has done more than "almost anybody" to stand against racism and the far right
- The full documentary was scheduled to air on 18 October, with segments already broadcast revealing the extent of the problems within the party
