UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Reform UK faces backlash as up to 12 councillors are probed for allegedly sharing Islamophobic, far-right content linked to Britain First online.
As reported by The Guardian, 12 newly elected Reform UK councillors are under scrutiny for promoting extremist views and Islamophobic material online.
The group includes councillors from three county councils who shared material from Britain First, a hardline group known for provocative public actions.
Following Reform UK’s success in securing 677 of 1,600 seats, scrutiny has intensified over its elected councillors, after the party dismissed such issues during the campaign.
What led to allegations against Reform UK councillors?
Voted into Leicestershire County Council, Paul Harrison is among the councillors accused of retweeting Britain First content. He reposted and showed support for mass deportations in response to a question on X by Britain First’s chair, which was accompanied by an AI-generated image of Muslim men with Pakistani flags.
Elected councillor Russell Cherry from Thurrock allegedly shared a retweet from Paul Golding, the leader of Britain First, who has a criminal record for religious harassment.
Ivan Dabbs, a Reform councillor from West Northamptonshire, reportedly retweeted a Britain First post and content from Golding urging a street protest.
How did Reform UK use Ferretly’s Vetting software before the elections?
Before the elections, Reform UK used an off-the-shelf vetting platform from Ferretly, a social media tech company established in 2019. The tool scans for digital warning signs, including offensive speech, bullying, inflammatory rhetoric, and associations with extremist organizations or individuals.
Reform UK has come under fire for relying on the platform, despite claims from its leadership that its vetting procedure was the “most comprehensive” of any party.
During a 30 April interview with Times Radio, Nigel Farage explained that internal vetting was conducted using “AI approaches and additional methods” to “streamline the process.”
How did Reform UK lose three councillors amid internal conflict?
By 8 May, Reform UK had lost at least three of its newly elected councillors, including Donna Edmunds from Shropshire, who was suspended on Wednesday after announcing plans to leave the party.
Ms Edmunds, a supporter of Rupert Lowe before his expulsion from Reform, had been involved in clashes with Nigel Farage. She accused the party leader of showing disrespect to members and labelled the party as a cult.
Warwickshire councillor Luke Shingler said he would work independently for the next 18 months, citing professional obligations that prevent him from joining a political party. A third councillor, Desmond Clarke, has resigned from Nottinghamshire County Council, prompting a byelection.
What did Georgie Laming say about Reform UK’s vetting?
Georgie Laming, Hope Not Hate’s director of campaigns, stated,
“Nigel Farage has claimed that Reform UK have the ‘most in-depth vetting procedure’ of any party. Our investigation shows that their processes leave much to be desired.”
She added,
“Not only have they admitted using ‘AI techniques and other things’ to do the vetting, but Reform UK continue to shirk responsibility for their candidates’ online behaviour. They have yet to drop any of the candidates that have been exposed.”
Hope Not Hate’s investigation revealed that some Reform UK candidates, now elected, had promoted anti-Muslim rhetoric, far-right conspiracy theories, and backed figures like Tommy Robinson and David Irving.
What did Iman Atta say about extremist tactics?
Iman Atta, director of Tell MAMA, stated, that right-wing extremists
“share tips on how to target Muslim communities, attack mosques, evade police, avoid leaving forensic evidence – and even offer financial incentives for carrying out attacks”.
She said,
“We’re moving into a new era where online and offline worlds are intersecting. The whole mobilisation in Southport happened online. It was misinformation and disinformation that triggered far-right groups across platforms like Telegram to mobilise and attack Muslim and migrant communities.”