Nigel Farage is facing criticism for not taking action against a senior Reform candidate who made a series of “racist and unacceptable” comments about politicians. Chris Parry, who had already come under fire for suggesting that David Lammy should “return to the Caribbean,” also raised doubts about the loyalty of eight other minority ethnic figures to the UK. These individuals included Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, independent MP Zarah Sultana, and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Despite being questioned about Parry’s remarks, two of Farage’s key associates declined to denounce him this week. Labour chairwoman Anna Turley criticized Farage for tolerating racism within his party. A review of Parry’s social media posts by The Guardian uncovered derogatory comments he made about Mahmood and Yousaf, questioning their loyalty to the UK.
Parry also targeted other figures such as Labour MP Dawn Butler, Scottish equalities minister Kaukab Stewart, and Labour MP Naz Shah. Turley insisted that Farage should have expelled Parry from Reform UK and removed him as a candidate sooner. She accused Farage of disregarding racism within his party and failing to meet public expectations of political leaders.
During a press conference, Richard Tice, Farage’s second-in-command, evaded condemning Parry’s remarks towards Lammy. Tice emphasized that critiquing politicians is part of the political landscape. Reform MP Danny Kruger refrained from commenting on Parry’s statements, deferring the decision to Farage and party leadership.
In an interview on Talk TV, Parry stood by his comments and urged people to review the context on Twitter. He defended his stance that the primary loyalty of a foreign secretary, referencing Lammy, should be to the country. When asked about Lammy’s allegiance, Parry redirected the question back to Lammy.
The Mirror has reached out to Reform for a response regarding the situation.