London (Parliament News) – Rishi Sunak has stated he was hurt and enraged to hear a Reform UK canvasser anointing him a racial slur, stating Nigel Farage “has some questions to answer”.
How Did Rishi Sunak React to the Racial Slur?
The PM reacted after a Channel 4 undercover investigation discovered a Reform campaigner had called him a “fucking [P-word]”. Sunak reiterated the slur and said he had done so because it was necessary to call it out for what it was. His response came as Essex police stated they were “urgently assessing” racist and homophobic remarks made by Reform campaigners in broadcast footage.
A spokesman for the force expressed: “We are aware of comments made during a Channel 4 News programme and we are urgently evaluating them to establish if there are any criminal offences.”
What Questions Does Sunak Have for Nigel Farage?
On a driving visit to a school in Teesside, the PM told broadcasters: “My two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an effing [P-word]. It hurts and it makes me angry, and I think he has some questions to answer. “I don’t repeat those words lightly. I do so deliberately because this is too important not to call out clearly for what it is.”
Asked whether he was discouraged that some former Conservative voters were counting towards Reform UK when their activists were pushing racist and homophobic comments, Sunak stated: “When you see Reform candidates and campaigners seemingly using racist and misogynistic language and opinion, seemingly without challenge, I think it tells you something about the culture in the Reform party.”
What Is Sunak’s View on Andrew Tate’s Influence?
Sunak also reacted to Farage’s comments defining the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate as an “important voice for men”, which was first reported by the Guardian. “Andrew Tate isn’t an essential voice for men. He’s a vile misogynist. And our politics and country is better than that,” he said. “As prime minister, but more importantly as a father of two young girls, I must call out this corrosive and divisive behaviour.”
How Did Keir Starmer Respond to the Racist Remarks?
Keir Starmer stated he was “shocked” by the racist and homophobic remarks made by the Reform UK canvassers, stating the incident would prove a test of Farage’s leadership. The Labour leader criticized the comments by Andrew Parker and George Jones, who were filmed by the journalist while canvassing for the Reform leader in Clacton, where he is running to be MP. Parker was filmed calling the PM a “fucking [P-word]”, while Jones called the Pride flag “degenerate”.
Talking about the incident for the first time since they were revealed, Starmer expressed: “I was shocked by what I heard in the report, [it was] racist. And I think this is a test of leadership.” He said: “You have to ask the question why so many people supporting Reform seem to be exposed in this particular way. It’s for a leader to change his or her party to make sure the culture is right and the standards are understood by everybody within the party.”