Reform UK: officials, incidents and party record

Reform UK, also known as the Reform Party, is a right-wing populist and far-right political party in the United Kingdom, founded by Nigel Farage and Catherine Blaiklock on 23 November 2018 as the Brex

Leader: Nigel Farage

Founded: 2018

Headquarters: Millbank Tower, 21–24 Millbank, London SW1P 4QP

Ideology: Right-wing populism, Hard Euroscepticism

Position: Right-wing to far-right

Membership: 268,000 (December 2025)

Website: https://www.reformparty.uk/

Reform UK, also known as the Reform Party, is a right-wing populist and far-right political party in the United Kingdom, founded by Nigel Farage and Catherine Blaiklock on 23 November 2018 as the Brexit Party and renamed Reform UK in January 2021. Nigel Farage has been leader since June 2024, with Richard Tice as Deputy Leader and Lee Anderson as Chairman. Positioned to the right of the Conservative Party, it advocates right-wing populism and hard Euroscepticism under the slogan "Britain is broken. Britain needs Reform." The party has eight MPs in the House of Commons, seventeen members of the Scottish Parliament, thirty-four members of the Senedd, two members of the London Assembly, two directly elected mayors and two police and crime commissioners, and around 2,330 local councillors, controlling thirty-five councils. Its membership stood at 268,000 in December 2025, and it is governed by the Reform UK Board from its headquarters at Millbank Tower in London.

Reform UK policy documents

Tracked Reform UK representatives (2162)

Recorded party incidents (showing 301-319 of 319)

Fruhman called for "Every Muslim out of Europe" and branded Pride "disgraceful"

Category: offensive

Leo Fruhman, a Reform UK candidate, posted that he wanted "Every Muslim out of Europe", stated openly that he had "a problem with Muslims", and described Gay Pride events as "disgraceful". He also indicated he might defect to Rupert Lowe's rival Restore Britain party, which has been documented as courting the extreme right. The posts were surfaced in HOPE not hate's 30 April 2026 report "60 Reasons (and Counting) to Not Vote Reform on May 7th". Reform UK stood him for the 7 May 2026 elections despite claiming its vetting was "the best in the country".

Kher posted that "the truth about the climate scam is emerging"

Category: offensive

Kabeer Kher, a Reform UK candidate, posted on X that "the truth about the climate scam is emerging", and described the international system of climate financing as a "corruption scam". The posts dismiss the settled scientific consensus on human-driven climate change and reframe the global response as organised fraud. The remarks were surfaced in HOPE not hate's 30 April 2026 report "60 Reasons (and Counting) to Not Vote Reform on May 7th", which grouped him with a cluster of Reform candidates whose public output was dominated by climate conspiracy theories. Reform stood him for the 7 May 2026 elections despite claiming its vetting was "the best in the country".

Kirk shared "Free Tommy Robinson" post and "no negotiation with Islam" message

Category: offensive

Julian Kirk, a Reform UK candidate, shared an Elon Musk post reading "Free Tommy Robinson!" and, separately, a post declaring "There is no negotiation with Islam. You either resist or submit." Tommy Robinson is the pseudonym of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a serial convicted offender long treated as a leader of the British anti-Muslim street movement; the "resist or submit" framing casts an entire religion as a hostile foreign power. The posts were surfaced in HOPE not hate's 30 April 2026 report "60 Reasons (and Counting) to Not Vote Reform on May 7th". Reform UK stood him for the 7 May 2026 elections despite claiming its vetting was "the best in the country".

Kirk shared "Free Tommy Robinson" post and "no negotiation with Islam" message

Category: offensive

Julian Kirk, a Reform UK candidate, shared an Elon Musk post reading "Free Tommy Robinson!" and, separately, a post declaring "There is no negotiation with Islam. You either resist or submit." Tommy Robinson is the pseudonym of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a serial convicted offender long treated as a leader of the British anti-Muslim street movement; the "resist or submit" framing casts an entire religion as a hostile foreign power. The posts were surfaced in HOPE not hate's 30 April 2026 report "60 Reasons (and Counting) to Not Vote Reform on May 7th". Reform UK stood him for the 7 May 2026 elections despite claiming its vetting was "the best in the country".

Lewis branded Christmas and Easter "demonic" and threatened "holy fire" on opponents

Category: offensive

Steven Lewis, a Reform UK candidate, ran a sustained personal campaign against Christmas, Easter and New Year celebrations, describing them as "demonic" or pagan. He also referred to himself online as the "Lion of Judah" and threatened "holy fire" on his opponents, framing ordinary political disagreement as spiritual warfare. The posts were surfaced in HOPE not hate's 30 April 2026 report "60 Reasons (and Counting) to Not Vote Reform on May 7th". Reform UK stood him for the 7 May 2026 elections despite claiming its vetting was "the best in the country".

Fox shared "Enoch Powell was Right!" meme and anti-Muslim bacon graphic

Category: offensive

Jonathan Fox, a Reform UK candidate, shared a meme referencing Enoch Powell's 1968 "Rivers of Blood" speech captioned "Enoch Powell was Right!", and a further graphic making an offensive claim linking people who eat bacon to protection from terrorism, an inversion designed to insult Muslims. "Rivers of Blood" is the most notorious anti-immigration speech in modern British political history and led to Powell being sacked from the shadow cabinet. The posts were surfaced in HOPE not hate's 30 April 2026 report "60 Reasons (and Counting) to Not Vote Reform on May 7th". Reform UK retained him for the 7 May 2026 elections despite claiming its vetting was "the best in the country".

Pullin endorsed "occupied country" framing and said Islam encourages murder of Jews and gay people

Category: offensive

Jamie Pullin, a Reform UK candidate, shared a video promoting the white supremacist framing of Britain as an "occupied country" and posted his endorsement of that argument. In a separate post he described Islam as "a belief system which encourages the murder of Kafir, Jews and homosexuals", collapsing an entire religion into a call for violence against non-Muslims, Jewish people and LGBT people. The posts were surfaced in HOPE not hate's 30 April 2026 report "60 Reasons (and Counting) to Not Vote Reform on May 7th". Reform UK kept him on the ticket for the 7 May 2026 elections despite its "best in the country" vetting claim.

Questions over alleged racist posts by aides to Matt Goodwin

Category: racism

It was reported that an investigation by the Manchester Mill, referencing research from Hope Not Hate, identified five people who had campaigned with Matt Goodwin and who were said to have shared racist content online and expressed support for far‑right groups. The report allegedly highlighted social media posts by Goodwin’s interim campaign manager in Tameside, Adam Mitula, including suggestions that “60-70%” of transgender people were paedophiles, a statement that he would “never touch a Jewish woman”, and use of the n-word. The coverage also named other individuals pictured campaigning with Goodwin who were reported to have expressed support for far‑right groups or who had previously faced disciplinary action over posts described as discriminatory towards Muslims. Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell wrote to Goodwin urging him to distance himself from the material and to set out what disciplinary steps would be taken.

Addressed Glasgow rally alongside far-right activists, defended by Reform's Scottish deputy leader

Category: inappropriate behaviour

Reform councillor Audrey Dempsey spoke at a far-right rally in Glasgow alongside a prominent member of a group described as neo-Nazi and a self-proclaimed white nationalist. Reform's Scottish deputy leader Thomas Kerr later defended her attendance. On 25 July 2026, Dempsey addressed the Unite the Clans rally at Glasgow Green, claiming she was there to discuss the safety of women and girls. The event was attended by far-right activists and featured Nazi salutes and racist abuse. Dempsey later said she had seen nobody "even remotely resembling a Nazi". Serious disorder followed the rally. Police Scotland recorded violence, intimidation and hate-motivated offences across Glasgow city centre. Fifteen people were arrested for alleged offences including assault and possession of offensive weapons, while several weapons were recovered.

Bullock encouraged Muslims to join ISIS to "re-balance" the population

Category: offensive

Derek Bullock, a Reform UK candidate, is reported not to have denied calling Baroness Warsi "a cuckoo in the nest", describing the rise in the number of British Muslim children as a "ticking clock", supporting the English Democrats, or writing that Muslims should join ISIS to "re-balance" the population. He denies authoring a separate Facebook post about shooting a racial slur, saying that post was fake, but was expelled from the Conservative Party in 2023 over the wider pattern. The remarks were surfaced in HOPE not hate's 30 April 2026 report "60 Reasons (and Counting) to Not Vote Reform on May 7th", which documented Reform UK candidates whose public statements had already generated significant concern. Reform stood him for the 7 May 2026 elections despite claiming its vetting was "the best in the country".

Reported to standards watchdog over crypto lobbying after meeting Bank of England governor

Category: undisclosed interest

In mid-2026 Nigel Farage was reported to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over alleged lobbying on cryptocurrency policy. He had met the Governor of the Bank of England and argued against the introduction of a state-backed stablecoin while supporting private-sector alternatives, including one connected to the interests of his donor Christopher Harborne. The referral was made in the context of wider scrutiny of undeclared gifts from crypto-linked figures. Farage and Reform UK said his position was consistent with long-standing pro-innovation views, and the Governor stated that no Bank of England policy had changed as a result of the meeting.

Personal service company Thorn in the Side Ltd reported for missed Companies House filings

Category: financial conduct concern

In June 2026 investigative reporting stated that Thorn in the Side Ltd, the personal service company through which Nigel Farage receives significant media and other outside earnings and of which he is sole director, had missed a Companies House confirmation-statement deadline and had not met related identity-verification requirements introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. Failure to file a confirmation statement within the statutory window can constitute a criminal offence under UK company law. The company has long handled substantial sums attributed to Farage's outside work, giving the compliance lapse added significance in the context of concurrent scrutiny of his financial affairs.

Undeclared benefits from convicted fraudster George Cottrell around 2024 campaign

Category: undisclosed interest

Reporting in July 2026 alleged that George Cottrell, a long-time associate of Nigel Farage and former UKIP head of fundraising who was convicted in the United States in 2016 following a money-laundering and wire-fraud sting operation, had provided Farage with staff and social-media support, personal security, accommodation including a townhouse and other benefits during and after the 2024 campaign. None of these benefits were declared in the register of members' interests. Related donations linked to Cottrell and his mother to Reform UK or associated entities were referred to the Electoral Commission and became the subject of a Metropolitan Police investigation, with individuals interviewed under caution and further National Crime Agency scrutiny of associated transactions. Farage and Reform UK denied that any rules had been broken and rejected suggestions that Cottrell held a formal role in the party operation.

MS James Evans joins Reform UK amid past criticism of party

Category: ethics violation

According to the Brecon & Radnor Express, James Evans joined Reform UK at a party conference in Newport on 5 February 2026, where he was welcomed to the lectern by party leader Nigel Farage. The article reports Mr Evans was sacked by the Conservatives in January amid suspicions he was planning to defect and subsequently sat as an independent MS before joining Reform UK. The same report notes Mr Evans had publicly criticised Reform UK in the past, saying it “does not have a plan for Wales,” and includes his statement that he had criticised the party previously but reassessed his view. Speaking to BBC Wales, First Minister Eluned Morgan is reported to have described Reform UK as “absolutely packed with Tories jumping ship… trying to save their own skins.”

Received undeclared £5m from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne before 2024 election

Category: undisclosed interest

Reporting in April 2026 revealed that Nigel Farage had received £5 million from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before deciding to stand as a candidate in the 2024 general election. Farage described the transfer as an unconditional personal gift covering lifelong security costs and compensation linked to his Brexit work and lost earnings, and said that because it pre-dated his election as an MP he did not consider it a political donation requiring declaration. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards opened an investigation into whether declaration rules had been breached, with potential sanctions including suspension from the House. Banks handling the funds filed a suspicious activity report with the National Crime Agency over money-laundering concerns about the origin of the money. Harborne separately became a major donor to Reform UK, and further questions were raised about Farage's use of donor-linked transport and property.

Third candidate quit same constituency citing poor vetting and internal chaos

Category: party management issue

Owain Clatworthy, the number six candidate on Reform UK's list for Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg in the 2026 Senedd elections, withdrew around 1 April 2026, becoming the third candidate to leave this single constituency in one week. He issued a scathing letter citing "poor internal decision making, lack of discipline and serious concerns around candidate selection." He referenced the Corey Edwards Nazi salute photograph as the final straw.

Parliamentary Commissioner found 17 breaches of MPs' code over late-registered outside earnings

Category: undisclosed interest

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards ruled in January 2026 that Nigel Farage had inadvertently breached the MPs' code of conduct on 17 occasions by failing to register outside earnings within the required 28-day window. The undeclared payments totalled roughly £384,000 and delays ranged from days to several months. The payments included income from GB News, the gold dealer Direct Bullion (for whom he acted as a brand ambassador), Google and X Corp among others. The Commissioner recommended no formal sanction. Farage apologised and attributed the delays to reliance on aides and limited personal use of computers.

Second candidate stood down from same constituency within days

Category: party management issue

Derek Roberts, the number two candidate on Reform UK's list for Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg in the 2026 Senedd elections, stood down around 31 March to 1 April 2026, citing personal reasons. His departure was the second from this constituency within days, following lead candidate Corey Edwards. The rapid departures contributed to growing concerns about the stability of Reform UK's Welsh campaign ahead of the 7 May elections.

Recorded incident

Category: hate speech

Andy Mahon has reportedly posted social media messages containing the n-word, homophobic remarks about Wes Streeting, and racist and sexist comments directed at Angela Rayner and other politicians. Local Reform leadership reportedly declined to suspend him. The local party chairman said the party "believes in freedom of speech" when refusing to take disciplinary action.