1 00:00:10,900 --> 00:00:14,640 Farage, Nigel Paul. Reform UK. 2 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,000 21,225. CHEERING 3 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,340 MAN: Come on! Come on, Nigel! 4 00:00:20,340 --> 00:00:24,100 When Nigel Farage was first elected as an MP, 5 00:00:24,100 --> 00:00:26,500 he made a promise to the country. 6 00:00:26,500 --> 00:00:29,000 From today... 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:33,600 ..we are going to professionalise the party. 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:39,460 And those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, 9 00:00:39,460 --> 00:00:41,300 will be long gone, 10 00:00:41,300 --> 00:00:45,400 and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation. 11 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:54,020 You have the 100% promise on that. APPLAUSE 12 00:00:55,300 --> 00:00:58,500 Reform UK had been forced to drop more than a dozen 13 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:03,480 parliamentary candidates in the run-up to the 2024 general election 14 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:09,740 after racist and offensive comments came to light. 15 00:01:09,740 --> 00:01:13,520 Farage has made clear what he thinks of his party's past system 16 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:15,620 for vetting candidates. 17 00:01:15,620 --> 00:01:17,200 Piss poor. 18 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,180 And we, frankly, haven't put enough effort in, 19 00:01:20,180 --> 00:01:23,900 or professionalism in, to find out the truth about them. 20 00:01:23,900 --> 00:01:26,800 He's been promising change for two years. 21 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:33,100 But in future, we will be vetting candidates rigorously at all levels. 22 00:01:33,100 --> 00:01:35,940 I promise you that. APPLAUSE 23 00:01:35,940 --> 00:01:41,960 We don't want extremists. We don't want bigots. 24 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:46,660 In that time, Reform's rise has transformed British politics. 25 00:01:46,660 --> 00:01:54,180 It now has eight MPs, two mayors and runs 23 councils. 26 00:01:54,180 --> 00:01:58,440 It's attracted unprecedented multimillion-pound donations, 27 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:05,600 even while some of its fundraising is being investigated by police. 28 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:07,900 Something remarkable is gonna happen 29 00:02:07,900 --> 00:02:14,220 in a way that has never been seen in any of our lifetimes. 30 00:02:14,220 --> 00:02:18,260 But the question remains - are he and his party serious 31 00:02:18,260 --> 00:02:24,760 about driving out extremists and bigots? 32 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,080 For the past year, we've been undercover inside Reform. 33 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:30,500 It's busier today. 34 00:02:30,500 --> 00:02:32,060 Travelling across Britain 35 00:02:32,060 --> 00:02:40,300 and secretly filming at every level of the party. 36 00:02:40,300 --> 00:02:43,100 We join activists on the campaign trail. 37 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,100 We spend time with elected Reform councillors 38 00:02:51,100 --> 00:02:55,500 who've been through party vetting. 39 00:03:32,820 --> 00:03:40,020 We hear how they talk about their female colleagues. 40 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:53,220 We meet aspiring Reform MPs. 41 00:04:00,500 --> 00:04:06,620 We hear what a high-profile MP thinks of some in her party. 42 00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:13,580 We investigate close links between Reform politicians 43 00:04:13,580 --> 00:04:17,500 and those with far-right views. 44 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:26,620 And we go undercover in the party headquarters, 45 00:04:26,620 --> 00:04:32,660 where we find evidence of a toxic culture. 46 00:04:32,660 --> 00:04:32,780 Of offensive views being covered up. 47 00:04:40,780 --> 00:04:43,260 And that people who hold those views 48 00:04:43,260 --> 00:04:49,540 are being protected by those at the very top. 49 00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:12,860 It's September 2025, 50 00:05:12,860 --> 00:05:18,020 and Reform is holding its biggest-ever national conference. 51 00:05:18,020 --> 00:05:21,340 Party officials say more than 10,000 people, 52 00:05:21,340 --> 00:05:25,540 mostly paid-up members, will attend the event. 53 00:05:25,540 --> 00:05:29,420 Among them, one of our undercover reporters. 54 00:05:30,060 --> 00:05:38,260 CHEERING AND WHISTLING 55 00:05:38,260 --> 00:05:38,500 We are all ships rising on a turquoise tide, 56 00:05:43,660 --> 00:05:48,780 headed ever closer towards winning the next general election. 57 00:05:48,780 --> 00:05:53,060 CHEERING 58 00:05:53,060 --> 00:05:57,260 I promised you a year ago I would professionalise the party. 59 00:05:57,260 --> 00:05:59,980 Have a look around you. Have a look at this conference. 60 00:05:59,980 --> 00:06:04,540 Haven't our team done just the most amazing job? 61 00:06:04,540 --> 00:06:08,740 I think we're on track. I think we're on our way. 62 00:06:08,740 --> 00:06:09,900 Thank you very much indeed. Thank you. Thank you. 63 00:06:18,980 --> 00:06:20,860 After the speeches, 64 00:06:20,860 --> 00:06:30,860 our reporter mixes with members of this "professionalised party". 65 00:06:32,060 --> 00:06:38,660 Some talk about the racists they've met. 66 00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:54,340 And soon after, we hear extreme views. 67 00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:42,420 Other delegates are more cautious about voicing controversial views. 68 00:08:12,420 --> 00:08:14,540 NEWSREADER: All political eyes in Wales this week 69 00:08:14,540 --> 00:08:16,620 are on a constituency that, up until now, 70 00:08:16,620 --> 00:08:20,580 has been a bedrock Labour heartland. 71 00:08:20,580 --> 00:08:26,020 The views we've heard so far are from Reform's grassroots. 72 00:08:26,020 --> 00:08:28,460 When a by-election is called in Caerphilly, 73 00:08:28,460 --> 00:08:33,900 we want to find out if they reflect a wider culture in the party. 74 00:08:33,900 --> 00:08:36,020 I'm here today to launch our candidate 75 00:08:36,020 --> 00:08:39,340 for this Caerphilly by-election to the Senedd. 76 00:08:39,340 --> 00:08:43,220 Nigel Farage says Reform will throw everything at the campaign. 77 00:08:43,220 --> 00:08:49,020 We are in it to win it. Simple as. 78 00:08:49,020 --> 00:08:52,020 He appeals to party activists from across Britain 79 00:08:52,020 --> 00:08:56,260 to come and help get the voters out for Reform. 80 00:08:56,260 --> 00:09:04,380 Our undercover reporter joins them. 81 00:09:05,620 --> 00:09:07,460 He's sent out with Martin Roberts, 82 00:09:07,460 --> 00:09:12,900 a branch treasurer from nearby Pontypridd. 83 00:09:12,900 --> 00:09:14,700 He stood as the party's candidate 84 00:09:14,700 --> 00:09:24,380 in a local council by-election. 85 00:09:40,180 --> 00:09:50,180 While they're canvassing, a man comes out of a house with an axe. 86 00:10:01,020 --> 00:10:04,900 ROBERTS: Fucking hell! LAUGHS 87 00:10:04,900 --> 00:10:05,820 REPORTER: Yeah. 88 00:10:05,820 --> 00:10:07,660 The conversation turns 89 00:10:07,660 --> 00:10:16,100 to Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch. 90 00:10:40,900 --> 00:10:44,820 After the election, Martin Roberts gets a promotion. 91 00:10:44,820 --> 00:10:51,140 Reform makes him the campaign coordinator for his local area. 92 00:10:51,140 --> 00:10:53,300 He's also now a caseworker 93 00:10:53,300 --> 00:10:56,900 for a Reform politician in the Welsh Parliament. 94 00:11:12,340 --> 00:11:15,660 Our reporter's out leafleting again, 95 00:11:15,660 --> 00:11:20,820 this time with Reform activist Ade Pitman. 96 00:11:20,820 --> 00:11:25,660 They're joined on the road by another local party campaigner. 97 00:11:25,660 --> 00:11:30,740 Pitman discusses the Labour government. 98 00:11:45,020 --> 00:11:48,300 The Kalergi Plan is a racist conspiracy theory, 99 00:11:48,300 --> 00:11:50,780 expounded by some on the far-right, 100 00:11:50,780 --> 00:11:54,340 which claims immigration is part of a genocidal plan 101 00:11:54,340 --> 00:11:57,980 to replace white Europeans. 102 00:12:07,340 --> 00:12:08,580 Throughout the day, 103 00:12:08,580 --> 00:12:15,500 Pitman makes violent and bigoted comments. 104 00:12:23,660 --> 00:12:27,020 Pitman supports and campaigns for Reform 105 00:12:27,020 --> 00:12:29,740 but says he didn't renew his membership 106 00:12:29,740 --> 00:12:34,540 after Nigel Farage appointed a Muslim, Zia Yusuf, as Party Chair. 107 00:13:13,260 --> 00:13:20,260 In the end, Reform falls short, with voters electing Plaid Cymru. 108 00:13:20,260 --> 00:13:22,300 But are the sorts of views we're encountering 109 00:13:22,300 --> 00:13:24,780 simply at the grassroots, 110 00:13:24,780 --> 00:13:28,060 or are they also held by those higher up in the party? 111 00:13:35,980 --> 00:13:38,380 NEWSREADER: Nigel Farage is under pressure to apologise 112 00:13:38,380 --> 00:13:40,460 after several former classmates accused him 113 00:13:40,460 --> 00:13:42,900 of antisemitic, racist behaviour 114 00:13:42,900 --> 00:13:46,860 while he was at school nearly 50 years ago. 115 00:13:46,860 --> 00:13:53,780 Reform's leader faces a major controversy around race. 116 00:13:54,420 --> 00:13:57,780 I have this incredibly clear memory 117 00:13:57,780 --> 00:13:59,540 of him persistently heckling and hectoring me as a Jew. 118 00:13:59,540 --> 00:14:01,380 and hectoring me as a Jew. 119 00:14:01,380 --> 00:14:06,220 He'd say things like, "Hitler was right," and, "Gas 'em." 120 00:14:06,220 --> 00:14:08,060 And... HISSES 121 00:14:08,060 --> 00:14:11,940 The sound of gas escaping, basically. 122 00:14:11,940 --> 00:14:13,780 The question is, did you ever 123 00:14:13,780 --> 00:14:15,300 racially abuse fellow pupils in school? 124 00:14:15,300 --> 00:14:17,740 You've caveated it with a hurtful... No. Not with intent. 125 00:14:17,740 --> 00:14:21,940 I've never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody. 126 00:14:21,940 --> 00:14:24,060 Have I said things 50 years ago 127 00:14:24,060 --> 00:14:28,980 that you could interpret as being a banter in a playground, 128 00:14:28,980 --> 00:14:31,060 you could interpret in the modern light of day 129 00:14:31,060 --> 00:14:35,940 in some sort of way? Yes. 130 00:14:35,940 --> 00:14:39,820 WOMAN: Do you think saying to a Jewish person "Hitler was right" 131 00:14:39,820 --> 00:14:41,980 is direct racial abuse? 132 00:14:41,980 --> 00:14:45,260 Yes, I do, and I'm quite sure that... 133 00:14:45,260 --> 00:14:47,700 I can't believe anybody would have said that. 134 00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:49,780 And this is... Including your leader? 135 00:14:49,780 --> 00:14:51,340 Yes. This is all made-up twaddle 136 00:14:51,340 --> 00:14:56,140 by people who don't want Nigel to be Prime Minister of the country. 137 00:15:01,580 --> 00:15:04,020 As the controversy rages, 138 00:15:04,020 --> 00:15:08,540 one of our undercover team successfully applies for a job 139 00:15:08,540 --> 00:15:12,220 inside Reform. 140 00:15:12,220 --> 00:15:15,220 She'll be working in the heart of the party's operation, 141 00:15:15,220 --> 00:15:17,660 with some of its most senior figures, 142 00:15:17,660 --> 00:15:24,020 as a press officer in Reform's Westminster headquarters. 143 00:15:24,020 --> 00:15:26,740 It's an opportunity to see from the inside 144 00:15:26,740 --> 00:15:32,780 if Nigel Farage is serious about his promise to clean up his party. 145 00:15:32,780 --> 00:15:36,020 It's on. Wish me luck. 146 00:15:36,020 --> 00:15:38,500 Before she starts her job, 147 00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:46,020 our reporter Sophie is invited to Reform's Christmas party. 148 00:15:48,180 --> 00:15:52,660 At the event are dozens of senior Reform staff, MPs 149 00:15:52,660 --> 00:15:57,500 and the party's top leadership. 150 00:15:57,500 --> 00:15:59,620 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 151 00:15:59,620 --> 00:16:04,140 Nigel Farage takes to the stage. 152 00:16:34,140 --> 00:16:36,580 Behind closed doors, they seem to be laughing 153 00:16:36,580 --> 00:16:44,060 at the schoolboy racism allegations Farage is facing. 154 00:17:30,660 --> 00:17:33,420 Reform's vetting team checks the background 155 00:17:33,420 --> 00:17:35,460 of those who want to stand for election for the party, 156 00:17:35,460 --> 00:17:38,540 such as councillors or MPs. 157 00:17:38,540 --> 00:17:42,180 Nigel Farage's pledge to professionalise Reform 158 00:17:42,180 --> 00:17:45,740 and keep extremists out rests on their shoulders. 159 00:18:00,860 --> 00:18:01,820 That summer, 160 00:18:01,820 --> 00:18:05,460 Reform made its checks on candidates less stringent. 161 00:18:05,460 --> 00:18:07,540 It said it was to strike a better balance 162 00:18:07,540 --> 00:18:11,500 between its reputation and freedom of expression. 163 00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:13,900 Those who'd previously failed vetting 164 00:18:13,900 --> 00:18:16,580 were strongly encouraged by the party to reapply. 165 00:18:23,540 --> 00:18:25,100 SOPHIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 166 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:30,780 The official explains how he sees Reform's approach to vetting. 167 00:18:59,260 --> 00:19:01,980 Filming undercover in the following months 168 00:19:01,980 --> 00:19:05,860 would reveal how ineffective their vetting processes could be. 169 00:19:05,860 --> 00:19:07,700 Can I get a Prosecco, please? 170 00:19:07,700 --> 00:19:10,980 Also at the party is a Reform MP. 171 00:19:17,060 --> 00:19:18,300 At the time, 172 00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:28,300 Sarah Pochin is the party's only female Member of Parliament. 173 00:20:21,780 --> 00:20:24,220 At the party is Sophie's new boss, 174 00:20:24,220 --> 00:20:28,140 Ed Sumner, Director of Communications. 175 00:20:28,140 --> 00:20:30,260 He holds a senior role in Reform 176 00:20:30,260 --> 00:20:33,260 and is likely to have a powerful position in government 177 00:20:33,260 --> 00:20:38,740 if Farage makes it to Number 10. 178 00:20:38,740 --> 00:20:43,580 Also there, Dan Dukes, at the time a close aide to Nigel Farage. 179 00:20:43,580 --> 00:20:47,180 He'd later step down amid allegations about funding. 180 00:20:47,180 --> 00:20:49,300 He denies any wrongdoing. 181 00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:51,700 We're good, we're good, we're good. 182 00:20:51,700 --> 00:20:55,380 And the press officer. 183 00:20:55,380 --> 00:20:58,380 They warned Sophie about the demands of her new role 184 00:20:58,380 --> 00:21:06,180 and how far she'll have to go to defend the party. 185 00:21:36,460 --> 00:21:39,180 Dr Chris Parry is Reform's candidate 186 00:21:39,180 --> 00:21:41,900 to be the Mayor of Hampshire and the Solent. 187 00:21:41,900 --> 00:21:47,020 But a post from him on social media about the-then Deputy Prime Minister 188 00:21:47,020 --> 00:21:51,260 has just sparked another controversy about racism in the party. 189 00:21:51,260 --> 00:21:54,820 He has said that David Lammy should "go home to the Caribbean, 190 00:21:54,820 --> 00:21:56,980 "where his true loyalties lie". 191 00:21:56,980 --> 00:21:57,860 Lammy was born and raised in London. 192 00:22:00,060 --> 00:22:02,140 And these comments are dangerous, they're wrong, 193 00:22:02,140 --> 00:22:06,340 and I hope that Reform's leadership will call it out. 194 00:22:06,340 --> 00:22:08,180 Parry also questioned the loyalty 195 00:22:08,180 --> 00:22:13,020 of eight other prominent Black and Muslim politicians. 196 00:22:13,020 --> 00:22:19,020 Reform's leadership is now under pressure to sack him. 197 00:23:02,260 --> 00:23:08,580 Parry's days appear to be numbered. 198 00:23:14,380 --> 00:23:16,780 But when Sophie starts work in Reform's HQ, 199 00:23:16,780 --> 00:23:20,060 she'll learn how this controversy over racism is handled 200 00:23:20,060 --> 00:23:22,780 by those at the very top. 201 00:23:38,940 --> 00:23:40,180 NARRATOR: It's Sophie's first day 202 00:23:40,180 --> 00:23:42,900 working undercover as a press officer. 203 00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:45,940 She'll be based in the heart of Reform's Westminster HQ. 204 00:23:45,940 --> 00:23:48,940 Her new boss told her at the Christmas party 205 00:23:48,940 --> 00:23:58,620 that Reform's candidate to be Mayor of Hampshire, 206 00:23:58,620 --> 00:24:00,420 Chris Parry, was a racist and was going to be fired. 207 00:24:00,420 --> 00:24:02,500 But three weeks on, he's still in post. 208 00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:08,860 So, what's going on? 209 00:24:27,980 --> 00:24:33,100 Two days later, Sophie's at a Reform press conference 210 00:24:33,100 --> 00:24:37,620 when a journalist questions Farage about Parry. 211 00:24:37,620 --> 00:24:40,340 Your Hampshire and Solent candidate, Chris Parry, 212 00:24:40,340 --> 00:24:43,020 said that David Lammy must go home to the Caribbean, 213 00:24:43,020 --> 00:24:44,260 praised Enoch Powell, 214 00:24:44,260 --> 00:24:46,700 questioned the loyalty of ethnic minority politicians, 215 00:24:46,700 --> 00:24:48,820 described Birmingham as a failed colony. 216 00:24:48,820 --> 00:24:50,620 Is he a good representative of your party? 217 00:24:50,620 --> 00:24:52,740 Look, some of his comments are a bit rich. 218 00:24:52,740 --> 00:24:56,060 I get that. He is intensely patriotic. 219 00:24:56,060 --> 00:24:58,180 He's ridden to the rank of Rear Admiral. 220 00:24:58,180 --> 00:25:00,300 He's given enormous service to this country. 221 00:25:00,300 --> 00:25:04,820 Nigel Farage is backing Parry, even though behind the scenes, 222 00:25:04,820 --> 00:25:10,580 some of his senior staff think Parry is a racist and want him sacked. 223 00:25:10,580 --> 00:25:12,660 I do think his comments on Lammy were over the top, 224 00:25:12,660 --> 00:25:16,300 and he should apologise for them. 225 00:25:25,980 --> 00:25:26,900 It's left to a press officer 226 00:25:26,900 --> 00:25:28,740 to work on an apology from Parry to David Lammy. 227 00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:30,220 But he tells Director of Communications Ed Sumner 228 00:25:30,220 --> 00:25:32,900 Parry's reluctant to apologise. 229 00:25:48,620 --> 00:25:51,980 The press team updates Nigel Farage. 230 00:25:56,260 --> 00:25:58,020 Farage appears to hope that a public apology 231 00:26:19,780 --> 00:26:22,220 that a public apology 232 00:26:22,220 --> 00:26:26,060 will head off the claims that Parry is a racist. 233 00:26:49,420 --> 00:26:52,700 But later, Parry tries to water down the apology 234 00:26:52,700 --> 00:26:56,020 the team has written for him. 235 00:27:08,500 --> 00:27:12,420 The press office had told Parry to lie low, 236 00:27:12,420 --> 00:27:16,340 but the following week, he posts about a Nazi war criminal, 237 00:27:16,340 --> 00:27:20,220 Admiral Donitz, who ran Germany in 1945 after Hitler's suicide. 238 00:27:27,180 --> 00:27:30,500 News spreads around the office. 239 00:28:03,180 --> 00:28:07,980 Allowed to stay on this time, Parry was eventually suspended, 240 00:28:07,980 --> 00:28:10,140 pending investigation in March 241 00:28:10,140 --> 00:28:14,060 over controversial comments about a Jewish Neighbourhood Watch group. 242 00:28:14,060 --> 00:28:17,420 Reform hasn't published the results of its investigation. 243 00:28:17,420 --> 00:28:24,060 Parry says there never was one. He's since left the party. 244 00:28:24,060 --> 00:28:24,580 The racism and antisemitism allegations 245 00:28:27,060 --> 00:28:31,580 against Nigel Farage haven't gone away. 246 00:28:31,580 --> 00:28:35,500 Over 30 people have now come forward with accounts of his behaviour 247 00:28:35,500 --> 00:28:38,540 at his school, Dulwich College. 248 00:28:38,540 --> 00:28:42,140 Reform is still saying the claims are false. 249 00:28:42,140 --> 00:28:43,700 ITV News did a report 250 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:46,140 where they interviewed five of your former classmates, 251 00:28:46,140 --> 00:28:48,820 where, for the first time during a broadcast interview, 252 00:28:48,820 --> 00:28:53,060 they outlined the allegations of antisemitism and racism 253 00:28:53,060 --> 00:28:55,140 that they say you are responsible for. 254 00:28:55,140 --> 00:28:56,700 Will you apologise to them? 255 00:28:56,700 --> 00:28:59,740 And if not, why do you find it so difficult to apologise to people 256 00:28:59,740 --> 00:29:02,740 who are clearly hurt by what they say you did? 257 00:29:02,740 --> 00:29:06,100 I don't apologise for things that are complete made up fantasies. 258 00:29:06,100 --> 00:29:10,300 Just absolute nonsense by people with very obvious, 259 00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:16,380 if you looked, political motivation. 260 00:29:16,380 --> 00:29:20,860 Sophie and the team go for drinks after work. 261 00:29:20,860 --> 00:29:25,740 They're joined by Gawain Towler. 262 00:29:25,740 --> 00:29:29,620 He's worked closely with Nigel Farage for over 20 years 263 00:29:29,620 --> 00:29:32,620 and is a member of Reform's board. 264 00:29:34,180 --> 00:29:39,260 Sophie asks him about the allegations facing Farage. 265 00:30:03,540 --> 00:30:06,820 Sophie asks Towler if he thinks his old friend Farage 266 00:30:06,820 --> 00:30:12,220 really did abuse fellow pupils. 267 00:30:52,820 --> 00:30:58,860 Later, Farage does say he's sorry if anyone was upset by his behaviour. 268 00:30:58,860 --> 00:31:02,780 He denies saying anything serious and says he'd be very surprised 269 00:31:02,780 --> 00:31:08,180 if teenagers in an all-boys school in the 1970s hadn't been brutal 270 00:31:08,180 --> 00:31:11,540 and said things to each other. 271 00:31:11,540 --> 00:31:17,540 One of his accusers describes it as a non-apology. 272 00:31:21,220 --> 00:31:24,220 Reform is rapidly recruiting hundreds of its members 273 00:31:24,220 --> 00:31:30,220 to stand for election across the UK. 274 00:31:35,980 --> 00:31:38,140 It's running a day of media training 275 00:31:38,140 --> 00:31:43,220 for candidates for the Welsh Parliament. 276 00:31:50,540 --> 00:31:53,860 Reform board member Darren Grimes is on the phone, 277 00:31:53,860 --> 00:31:58,340 playing the role of a journalist in a mock radio interview. 278 00:31:58,340 --> 00:32:00,220 He's interviewing Karl Lewis, 279 00:32:00,220 --> 00:32:04,100 a serving Reform councillor who wants to run for the Senedd. 280 00:32:06,260 --> 00:32:09,820 Lewis came under scrutiny while serving as a Conservative 281 00:32:09,820 --> 00:32:11,980 for liking and sharing offensive, 282 00:32:11,980 --> 00:32:15,260 extremist and anti-migrant material online. 283 00:33:39,340 --> 00:33:42,340 APPLAUSE 284 00:33:42,340 --> 00:33:43,260 SOPHIE: Thank you. 285 00:33:43,260 --> 00:33:45,140 Councillor Lewis is applauded 286 00:33:45,140 --> 00:33:47,540 for his handling of the difficult questions. 287 00:33:47,540 --> 00:33:51,780 If you guys just don't mind lining up here. 288 00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:54,780 Our reporter Sophie wants to know what he really thinks 289 00:33:54,780 --> 00:33:57,140 about the posts he previously shared. 290 00:34:28,340 --> 00:34:30,740 Councillor Lewis appears to be the kind of candidate 291 00:34:30,740 --> 00:34:33,780 Farage says he'll root out of Reform. 292 00:34:33,780 --> 00:34:39,820 Instead, he's being trained by the party in how to handle the media. 293 00:34:39,820 --> 00:34:41,940 Later that day, he tells our reporter 294 00:34:41,940 --> 00:34:47,660 his problem is with radical Islam, not moderate Muslims. 295 00:34:47,660 --> 00:34:48,220 In the end, he fails to win a seat in the Senedd 296 00:34:50,700 --> 00:34:57,300 in the May elections but is still a councillor. 297 00:35:00,980 --> 00:35:04,540 Earlier on the training day, Sophie's boss, Ed Sumner, 298 00:35:04,540 --> 00:35:06,740 and a senior Reform official 299 00:35:06,740 --> 00:35:10,300 had mocked the quality of the candidates. 300 00:35:19,100 --> 00:35:22,140 The "nutter" in question ran for Reform 301 00:35:22,140 --> 00:35:28,780 in both the 2024 general election and the 2026 Senedd election. 302 00:35:28,780 --> 00:35:33,820 They then discuss how their candidates can avoid media scrutiny. 303 00:35:59,020 --> 00:36:04,140 Hello. My name is Ian Cooper, and, until December 2025, 304 00:36:04,140 --> 00:36:09,860 the Reform UK leader of Staffordshire County Council. 305 00:36:09,860 --> 00:36:12,020 The following day brings more questions 306 00:36:12,020 --> 00:36:15,340 about the effectiveness of Reform's vetting. 307 00:36:15,340 --> 00:36:18,980 I have decided to resign from Reform UK. 308 00:36:18,980 --> 00:36:22,580 My political journey with them has ended. 309 00:36:22,580 --> 00:36:26,820 Prominent councillor Ian Cooper was expelled by Reform 310 00:36:26,820 --> 00:36:31,300 after he allegedly made dozens of racist and bigoted posts. 311 00:36:34,060 --> 00:36:36,500 He was also reported to be a so-called "top fan" 312 00:36:36,500 --> 00:36:42,500 of a white supremacist Facebook page called The European Race. 313 00:36:42,500 --> 00:36:45,860 "Top fan" is a badge given to users 314 00:36:45,860 --> 00:36:50,420 who regularly like and comment on a page's content. 315 00:36:50,420 --> 00:36:53,740 Despite resigning as leader of Staffordshire Council, 316 00:36:53,740 --> 00:36:56,700 Cooper appealed against his expulsion from the party. 317 00:37:00,660 --> 00:37:03,060 The press officer reveals what happened next 318 00:37:03,060 --> 00:37:07,900 behind the scenes at Reform HQ. 319 00:37:29,420 --> 00:37:32,140 He's saying that Nigel Farage was in two minds 320 00:37:32,140 --> 00:37:35,460 about removing a senior Reform councillor 321 00:37:35,460 --> 00:37:40,860 said to be a "top fan" of a white supremacist site. 322 00:37:40,860 --> 00:37:43,020 If true, that calls into question 323 00:37:43,020 --> 00:37:46,940 Farage's promise to clean up his party. 324 00:37:46,940 --> 00:37:49,660 But Councillor Cooper isn't the only Reform politician 325 00:37:49,660 --> 00:37:52,700 with alleged links to racist material online. 326 00:37:52,700 --> 00:37:55,060 Another embarrassing problem emerges. 327 00:38:04,180 --> 00:38:10,780 This time, the councillor is Gavin Beales. 328 00:38:18,060 --> 00:38:20,540 Councillor Beales' link to WhiteDate 329 00:38:20,540 --> 00:38:26,220 was revealed after members' details were leaked. 330 00:38:26,220 --> 00:38:27,460 Four days earlier, 331 00:38:27,460 --> 00:38:30,220 a newspaper reported that the site said 332 00:38:30,220 --> 00:38:35,980 it's exclusively for whites and Europids seeking tribal love. 333 00:38:35,980 --> 00:38:38,660 It promotes the survival of the white race 334 00:38:38,660 --> 00:38:41,140 and has links to forums and material 335 00:38:41,140 --> 00:38:45,660 associated with fascist and Nazi ideology. 336 00:38:45,660 --> 00:38:45,900 But Reform's press officers seem to be either unaware or unconcerned. 337 00:38:47,740 --> 00:38:54,740 to be either unaware or unconcerned. 338 00:38:54,740 --> 00:38:56,260 The following week, the party makes a decision. 339 00:38:56,260 --> 00:38:58,020 But Reform's press officers seem to be either unaware or unconcerned. 340 00:39:17,420 --> 00:39:22,500 The following week, the party makes a decision. 341 00:39:28,580 --> 00:39:31,900 Beales said he was inadvertently linked to the site, 342 00:39:31,900 --> 00:39:39,100 would not have chosen to join, and he abhors racism. 343 00:39:42,140 --> 00:39:46,100 One person does get fired by Reform. 344 00:39:46,100 --> 00:39:49,100 In her third week, our undercover reporter Sophie 345 00:39:49,100 --> 00:39:50,940 is called into a meeting 346 00:39:50,940 --> 00:39:53,940 and told she's not the right fit for the party. 347 00:39:53,940 --> 00:39:56,380 LIFT: 'Ground floor.' 348 00:39:56,380 --> 00:40:00,580 She's dismissed with immediate effect. 349 00:40:00,580 --> 00:40:03,020 But we'd soon find out for ourselves 350 00:40:03,020 --> 00:40:06,060 what impact Reform's approach to vetting has 351 00:40:06,060 --> 00:40:09,020 on its candidates across the country. 352 00:40:17,220 --> 00:40:19,660 REPORTER: This is no ordinary by-election. 353 00:40:19,660 --> 00:40:25,420 It might feel local, but it is being watched very closely in Westminster. 354 00:40:25,420 --> 00:40:28,740 When a by-election is called in Gorton and Denton, 355 00:40:28,740 --> 00:40:32,340 Reform selects controversial former academic Matt Goodwin 356 00:40:32,340 --> 00:40:33,860 as its candidate. 357 00:40:33,860 --> 00:40:37,220 These are the core votes. They're the workers. 358 00:40:37,220 --> 00:40:40,540 Our reporter joins councillors and activists 359 00:40:40,540 --> 00:40:46,580 from across the country who've come to help with canvassing. 360 00:40:46,580 --> 00:40:48,980 It's busier today. It will be. 361 00:40:48,980 --> 00:40:54,740 Among them is Alan Feeney, a councillor for Solihull. 362 00:40:54,740 --> 00:40:56,860 He defected from the Tories last year 363 00:40:56,860 --> 00:41:00,460 and should have been vetted when he joined Reform. 364 00:41:00,460 --> 00:41:05,620 He's also a senior prison officer at HMP Birmingham. 365 00:41:05,620 --> 00:41:08,900 It soon becomes clear he blames one group in particular 366 00:41:08,900 --> 00:41:11,900 for problems in his area. 367 00:42:20,820 --> 00:42:22,340 We'd later find out 368 00:42:22,340 --> 00:42:25,100 how Councillor Feeney puts his views into practice 369 00:42:25,100 --> 00:42:30,780 in the campaign for his own council seat. 370 00:42:32,340 --> 00:42:35,940 So, I hereby declare that Hannah Katherine Spencer 371 00:42:35,940 --> 00:42:38,100 is duly elected Member of Parliament 372 00:42:38,100 --> 00:42:40,220 for the Gorton and Denton constituency. 373 00:42:40,220 --> 00:42:45,660 In the end, Reform comes second to the Green Party. 374 00:42:45,660 --> 00:42:49,500 REPORTER: A victory for the Greens in Gorton and Denton, Reform second. 375 00:42:59,260 --> 00:43:03,500 Weeks later, in the campaign for May's local elections, 376 00:43:03,500 --> 00:43:08,940 Reform has councils across the country in its sights. 377 00:43:08,940 --> 00:43:14,060 It's a chance to turn its lead in the polls into real power. 378 00:43:14,060 --> 00:43:19,460 One of the key battlegrounds is Portsmouth. 379 00:43:20,660 --> 00:43:28,540 CLAMOURING 380 00:43:34,580 --> 00:43:36,740 In the run-up to the polls, 381 00:43:36,740 --> 00:43:40,340 the area has seen repeated anti-immigration rallies, 382 00:43:40,340 --> 00:43:47,860 attended by those on the far right. 383 00:43:48,500 --> 00:43:53,660 We secretly film at one. 384 00:44:07,900 --> 00:44:11,220 Speaking at the rally and helping to control the crowd 385 00:44:11,220 --> 00:44:13,660 are leaders of a local anti-immigration group 386 00:44:13,660 --> 00:44:18,820 called the Portsmouth Patriots. 387 00:44:20,060 --> 00:44:22,780 This footage of a Portsmouth Patriots protest 388 00:44:22,780 --> 00:44:29,700 outside a migrant hotel sparked outrage in the city last year. 389 00:44:30,620 --> 00:44:34,540 We'd heard claims about close links between the Portsmouth Patriots 390 00:44:34,540 --> 00:44:37,540 and local Reform politicians. 391 00:44:39,740 --> 00:44:43,020 We gain access to the Patriots' private group on Facebook 392 00:44:43,020 --> 00:44:46,020 and find it's littered with extreme racist 393 00:44:46,020 --> 00:44:48,780 and anti-migrant content. 394 00:44:48,780 --> 00:44:51,780 It also reveals that four Reform politicians in Portsmouth 395 00:44:51,780 --> 00:44:56,060 are members of the private group. 396 00:44:56,060 --> 00:45:00,900 One is prospective Reform councillor Phil Carpenter. 397 00:45:00,900 --> 00:45:03,580 Filming undercover, we join him on the campaign trail. 398 00:45:10,220 --> 00:45:12,100 Must be the way in. 399 00:45:12,100 --> 00:45:14,500 Last year, Carpenter reposted this video 400 00:45:14,500 --> 00:45:19,340 on the Portsmouth Patriots Facebook group. 401 00:45:19,340 --> 00:45:22,340 It shows a member of the group getting into a local hotel 402 00:45:22,340 --> 00:45:25,980 for asylum seekers. 403 00:45:25,980 --> 00:45:32,060 You're a cunt, mush. Yeah. Fuck you, cunt. 404 00:45:32,060 --> 00:45:35,940 Fucking go back to where you come from - Somalia or wherever. 405 00:45:37,820 --> 00:45:40,540 We also find this footage on the private site, 406 00:45:40,540 --> 00:45:43,540 which shows Carpenter at a Patriot protest 407 00:45:43,540 --> 00:45:47,140 outside the hotel last year. 408 00:45:48,100 --> 00:45:53,500 Our undercover reporters ask what he was doing there. 409 00:47:02,460 --> 00:47:06,700 Also out campaigning, we meet Reform councillor Ray Dent. 410 00:47:06,700 --> 00:47:07,820 He tells our reporters what he thinks of the Portsmouth Patriots. 411 00:47:53,820 --> 00:47:55,340 Though some Reform politicians are wary 412 00:47:55,340 --> 00:47:58,620 of being publicly associated with the Portsmouth Patriots, 413 00:47:58,620 --> 00:47:58,740 we want to see whether the party's links to them go further still. 414 00:47:59,820 --> 00:48:08,020 links to them go further still. 415 00:48:08,020 --> 00:48:09,220 Though some Reform politicians are wary 416 00:48:09,220 --> 00:48:11,340 of being publicly associated with the Portsmouth Patriots, 417 00:48:11,340 --> 00:48:17,100 we want to see whether the party's links to them go further still. 418 00:48:17,100 --> 00:48:17,220 This is Portsmouth city councillor George Madgwick. 419 00:48:18,900 --> 00:48:21,300 This is Portsmouth city councillor George Madgwick. 420 00:48:21,300 --> 00:48:23,140 He's Reform's regional campaign manager 421 00:48:23,140 --> 00:48:29,140 for South East England and oversees the party's operation here. 422 00:48:29,140 --> 00:48:30,380 He's running for a seat 423 00:48:30,380 --> 00:48:34,860 on Hampshire County Council in this election. 424 00:48:41,860 --> 00:48:43,940 He's also a member of the Patriots' private Facebook group 425 00:48:43,940 --> 00:48:46,980 when our reporter joins it. 426 00:48:51,820 --> 00:48:53,660 The Facebook site reveals that Councillor Madgwick 427 00:48:53,660 --> 00:48:58,780 has supported the Portsmouth Patriots 428 00:48:58,780 --> 00:49:01,220 and promoted one of their rallies. He's also given them money. 429 00:49:01,220 --> 00:49:06,020 He's posted on the site encouraging them to join and donate to Reform. 430 00:49:06,020 --> 00:49:08,420 We ask him about the links. 431 00:49:59,260 --> 00:50:02,220 Councillor Madgwick seems comfortable working 432 00:50:02,220 --> 00:50:03,180 with the Portsmouth Patriots, 433 00:50:03,180 --> 00:50:04,980 despite how they're seen by some of his colleagues 434 00:50:04,980 --> 00:50:06,780 and the extreme content we found on their Facebook group 435 00:50:06,780 --> 00:50:10,980 during our investigation. 436 00:50:24,020 --> 00:50:25,180 REPORTER: Somewhat of a day here in Havant, 437 00:50:25,180 --> 00:50:27,340 as the seats for the county council 438 00:50:27,340 --> 00:50:29,420 and borough elections have been announced. 439 00:50:29,420 --> 00:50:35,140 Now, Reform UK got six of the county council seats... 440 00:50:35,140 --> 00:50:37,620 Phil Carpenter comes second 441 00:50:37,620 --> 00:50:39,740 and is not elected to Portsmouth City Council. 442 00:50:39,740 --> 00:50:43,380 But Councillor Madgwick wins his seat 443 00:50:43,380 --> 00:50:45,420 and is now the leader of the Reform group 444 00:50:45,420 --> 00:50:49,100 on Hampshire County Council. 445 00:50:49,100 --> 00:50:50,900 We're live on the scene here in Portsmouth in Eastney, 446 00:50:50,900 --> 00:50:54,220 and I'm with BLEEP, a local resident in the area. 447 00:50:54,220 --> 00:50:56,980 Since the election, he's been championing protests 448 00:50:56,980 --> 00:51:01,180 against migrant boats attended by the Portsmouth Patriots and others. 449 00:51:01,180 --> 00:51:05,740 He's been sharing protesters' footage. 450 00:51:05,740 --> 00:51:09,660 Here we are down in Gosport, so the invasion is happening. 451 00:51:09,660 --> 00:51:13,900 Look at all these emergency services complicit in the invasion. 452 00:51:13,900 --> 00:51:17,220 And his warnings about the arrival of migrant boats are shared 453 00:51:17,220 --> 00:51:19,620 on Portsmouth Patriots' Facebook page. 454 00:51:19,620 --> 00:51:23,780 Send them back! They're fucking traitors! 455 00:51:34,740 --> 00:51:38,380 He has told people to withdraw support and funding from the RNLI 456 00:51:38,380 --> 00:51:44,700 while they continue to rescue migrants. 457 00:51:44,700 --> 00:51:50,180 140 miles away in the Midlands, 458 00:51:50,180 --> 00:51:54,700 Reform is also fighting hard to win as many seats as it can 459 00:51:54,700 --> 00:51:56,220 in the local elections. 460 00:51:56,220 --> 00:51:59,260 REPORTER: Old alliances are fracturing in what could be 461 00:51:59,260 --> 00:52:05,580 the most consequential local elections in years. 462 00:52:05,900 --> 00:52:09,180 We're back on the campaign trail... 463 00:52:12,580 --> 00:52:16,740 ..with Reform councillor Alan Feeney... 464 00:52:19,540 --> 00:52:22,500 ..who we met earlier in Gorton and Denton. 465 00:52:24,620 --> 00:52:28,900 Now he's defending his seat on Solihull Council... 466 00:52:28,900 --> 00:52:32,780 ..and contesting a second ward in Birmingham. 467 00:52:37,660 --> 00:52:40,340 Feeney has made local planning and housing 468 00:52:40,340 --> 00:52:41,540 a key part of his campaign. 469 00:52:41,540 --> 00:52:43,340 DOOR BELL RINGS 470 00:53:40,180 --> 00:53:43,820 DOOR BELL RINGS 471 00:54:03,220 --> 00:54:10,140 During the day, Feeney repeatedly returns to the subject of Muslims. 472 00:54:33,140 --> 00:54:35,860 One resident says some think Councillor Feeney 473 00:54:35,860 --> 00:54:41,020 and Reform are targeting Asian homeowners and developers. 474 00:54:41,020 --> 00:54:41,540 The following day, it's made clear to another undercover reporter 475 00:55:10,580 --> 00:55:14,220 to another undercover reporter 476 00:55:14,220 --> 00:55:17,820 that Councillor Feeney wasn't being honest. 477 00:55:46,900 --> 00:55:48,380 During earlier campaigning in Solihull, 478 00:55:48,380 --> 00:55:52,060 Feeney had expressed his fears 479 00:55:52,060 --> 00:55:54,980 about an Islamic revolution in Britain. 480 00:56:21,620 --> 00:56:26,780 He says that white British people 481 00:56:26,780 --> 00:56:29,460 are now a minority in some areas and sets out his solution. 482 00:58:27,380 --> 00:58:29,500 During a break in canvassing, 483 00:58:29,500 --> 00:58:31,580 Feeney meets up with another Reform local election candidate, 484 00:58:31,580 --> 00:58:34,980 Jamie Campbell. 485 00:58:34,980 --> 00:58:39,820 The topic of conversation remains the same. 486 00:58:39,820 --> 00:58:43,700 REPORTER: Votes cast in these elections 487 00:59:38,980 --> 00:59:41,140 in these elections 488 00:59:41,140 --> 00:59:45,340 could signal centuries-old two-party dominances faltering. 489 00:59:45,340 --> 00:59:47,820 From north to south, east to west, 490 00:59:47,820 --> 00:59:52,940 we could be seeing a seismic shift in British politics. 491 00:59:52,940 --> 00:59:53,780 At a cafe, Alan Feeney and Jamie Campbell are joined 492 00:59:58,100 --> 01:00:03,820 by another election candidate, Chris Whelan. 493 01:00:03,820 --> 01:00:08,020 Once again, they're talking about Muslims. 494 01:00:34,940 --> 01:00:36,460 The conversation turns to one 495 01:00:36,460 --> 01:00:39,460 of Reform's female election candidates in Solihull. 496 01:01:30,820 --> 01:01:32,060 At the end of the day, 497 01:01:32,060 --> 01:01:34,460 our undercover reporter joins Feeney, 498 01:01:34,460 --> 01:01:42,580 Whelan and Campbell in a local pub. 499 01:01:59,820 --> 01:02:01,100 Chris Whelan is unhappy that some 500 01:02:01,100 --> 01:02:03,740 of the offensive comments he makes online get removed. 501 01:02:35,540 --> 01:02:37,620 The conversation moves on to another female Reform candidate, 502 01:02:37,620 --> 01:02:40,020 this time from Birmingham. 503 01:03:22,060 --> 01:03:23,900 REPORTER: The jubilation was measured in teal rosettes, 504 01:03:23,900 --> 01:03:30,620 as Reform surged and punched their way to victory. 505 01:03:30,620 --> 01:03:35,500 Reform wins almost 1,500 seats in the local elections, 506 01:03:35,500 --> 01:03:39,420 marking a watershed moment for the party. 507 01:03:39,420 --> 01:03:41,500 Since we made that breakthrough in the general election, 508 01:03:41,500 --> 01:03:46,340 we have professionalised the party. 509 01:03:46,340 --> 01:03:47,260 Alan Feeney wins both his seats 510 01:03:47,260 --> 01:03:49,340 and is appointed deputy leader of Reform 511 01:03:49,340 --> 01:03:52,420 on Solihull Borough Council. 512 01:03:52,420 --> 01:03:57,580 Chris Whelan and Jamie Campbell are also both elected. 513 01:03:57,580 --> 01:03:59,980 Feeney and Campbell say they hope to stand as MPs 514 01:03:59,980 --> 01:04:02,980 at the next general election. 515 01:04:40,940 --> 01:04:43,380 NARRATOR: In Southampton, 516 01:04:43,380 --> 01:04:45,220 violent protests follow the release of police footage 517 01:04:45,220 --> 01:04:47,300 of the tragic killing of student Henry Novak by a Sikh man. 518 01:04:47,300 --> 01:04:51,580 HENRY NOVAK: 519 01:04:51,580 --> 01:04:53,660 POLICE OFFICER: You've been stabbed? Whereabouts? 520 01:04:53,660 --> 01:04:57,060 I don't think you have, mate. 521 01:04:57,060 --> 01:05:00,980 It shows the dying student being arrested and handcuffed 522 01:05:00,980 --> 01:05:03,100 after he was falsely accused of a racist attack. 523 01:05:03,100 --> 01:05:07,300 Hours before the violence, Nigel Farage had made a speech 524 01:05:07,300 --> 01:05:11,860 that was criticised for sowing division. 525 01:05:11,860 --> 01:05:14,260 We're living in a two-tier culture in this country. 526 01:05:14,260 --> 01:05:21,780 Where the rights and privileges of white people matter less 527 01:05:21,780 --> 01:05:29,380 than those of ethnic minorities. 528 01:05:29,380 --> 01:05:33,580 I suggest the rest of us respond to this with pure cold rage. 529 01:05:33,580 --> 01:05:41,780 Enough of anti-white prejudice. 530 01:05:41,780 --> 01:05:48,420 White lives matter just as much as Black lives. 531 01:05:48,420 --> 01:05:53,220 A country that treats everybody equally and fairly before the law. 532 01:05:53,220 --> 01:06:00,180 This is serious. This is urgent. 533 01:06:00,180 --> 01:06:05,340 Against this febrile backdrop, another election campaign. 534 01:06:05,340 --> 01:06:08,340 REPORTER: For the next few weeks, politics is going to revolve 535 01:06:08,340 --> 01:06:11,060 around the constituency of Makerfield. 536 01:06:11,060 --> 01:06:14,980 REPORTER 2: Makerfield now the unlikely centre 537 01:06:14,980 --> 01:06:19,260 of British politics, a by-election far bigger than just this place. 538 01:06:19,260 --> 01:06:22,580 The by-election in Makerfield is being billed 539 01:06:22,580 --> 01:06:24,660 as one of the most consequential in modern British politics. 540 01:06:24,660 --> 01:06:27,380 REPORTER: British politics is in flux, 541 01:06:27,380 --> 01:06:32,820 and no-one knows where the pieces will settle. 542 01:06:32,820 --> 01:06:38,260 Reform's candidate is Rob Kenyon - a local councillor and plumber. 543 01:06:38,260 --> 01:06:44,900 Can he win? ALL: Yes! 544 01:06:44,900 --> 01:06:47,900 One, two, three, testing. 545 01:06:47,900 --> 01:06:50,620 He's up against Andy Burnham. 546 01:06:50,620 --> 01:06:53,100 REPORTER: The big campaign launch 547 01:06:53,100 --> 01:06:57,940 for a mayor making a move for Number 10. 548 01:06:57,940 --> 01:07:02,460 The Labour Mayor of Manchester, who hopes getting elected here 549 01:07:02,460 --> 01:07:05,180 will help propel him to Downing Street. 550 01:07:05,180 --> 01:07:10,900 Reform faces new pressure from a party further to its right - 551 01:07:10,900 --> 01:07:13,900 Restore Britain, led by Rupert Lowe, whose support has been rising. 552 01:07:13,900 --> 01:07:19,700 Once again, Reform mobilises MPs, 553 01:07:19,700 --> 01:07:23,580 councillors and supporters from across the country 554 01:07:23,580 --> 01:07:25,740 to help with the campaign. 555 01:07:25,740 --> 01:07:33,300 Out canvassing, we meet a party activist 556 01:07:33,300 --> 01:07:38,060 and former candidate called Alex Lomas. 557 01:07:39,940 --> 01:07:49,900 His story raises further questions about how seriously 558 01:07:49,900 --> 01:07:52,020 Reform takes vetting of those who want to stand for election. 559 01:07:52,020 --> 01:07:55,900 He says he's failed vetting twice because of his social media posts. 560 01:08:08,340 --> 01:08:14,940 Far-right activist Tommy Robinson is banned from joining Reform. 561 01:08:14,940 --> 01:08:15,940 And in the past, 562 01:08:15,940 --> 01:08:18,340 the party's suspended councillors who've shown support for him online. 563 01:08:18,340 --> 01:08:21,620 But Lomas says that after he failed vetting, 564 01:08:21,620 --> 01:08:25,220 something unexpected happened. 565 01:08:55,220 --> 01:08:57,620 Lomas ran for election as a councillor in Oldham 566 01:08:57,620 --> 01:09:03,660 and almost won, coming second by just 200 votes. 567 01:09:03,660 --> 01:09:09,340 He says he intends to stand as a Reform candidate again next year. 568 01:09:18,740 --> 01:09:21,220 Our reporter then meets Dean Miller, 569 01:09:21,220 --> 01:09:25,460 a Reform councillor for Bromley, South London. 570 01:09:25,460 --> 01:09:26,940 He was elected in May and has come to Makerfield 571 01:09:26,940 --> 01:09:31,140 to help with the campaign. 572 01:10:22,940 --> 01:10:24,140 Councillor Miller says what he would do 573 01:10:24,140 --> 01:10:27,100 to illegal migrants arriving from France. 574 01:12:28,460 --> 01:12:33,900 It's the last day of canvassing in Makerfield before polling day. 575 01:12:33,900 --> 01:12:36,580 Our undercover reporter meets three more Reform councillors 576 01:12:36,580 --> 01:12:41,700 here to help with the final push for votes. 577 01:12:48,420 --> 01:12:53,820 Conrad Brown is an elected Reform councillor in Hounslow. 578 01:12:53,820 --> 01:12:59,260 So is Adam Parkins. 579 01:12:59,260 --> 01:13:00,540 Together, they explain 580 01:13:00,540 --> 01:13:04,420 how candidates can get around Reform's vetting checks. 581 01:13:44,940 --> 01:13:48,300 At a pub showing World Cup football, 582 01:13:48,300 --> 01:13:54,340 we speak to another Reform councillor from Hounslow. 583 01:13:54,340 --> 01:13:55,860 David Kerr also stood as a Reform MP in 2024, 584 01:13:55,860 --> 01:14:00,980 pictured here with Reform's Deputy Leader, Richard Tice. 585 01:14:00,980 --> 01:14:08,580 He explains how he'd reverse immigration. 586 01:14:08,580 --> 01:14:09,700 Councillor Adam Parkins asks the reporter 587 01:14:18,220 --> 01:14:21,580 asks the reporter 588 01:14:21,580 --> 01:14:25,180 if there's a Pakistani problem in his area 589 01:14:25,180 --> 01:14:28,780 and then discusses child rape gangs. 590 01:15:11,820 --> 01:15:14,860 The councillors go on to talk about Restore - 591 01:15:14,860 --> 01:15:20,820 the party competing with Reform for voters on the right. 592 01:17:01,540 --> 01:17:04,220 All of these men are elected Reform councillors 593 01:17:04,220 --> 01:17:10,260 who have passed party vetting. 594 01:17:19,980 --> 01:17:22,060 Right, everyone. My name is Ray, and I'm team leader for today. 595 01:17:22,060 --> 01:17:24,180 That rhymes, that, dunnit? LAUGHTER 596 01:17:24,180 --> 01:17:28,380 The following day, we join another canvassing team 597 01:17:28,380 --> 01:17:32,060 led by Raymond Dunning. 598 01:17:32,060 --> 01:17:37,420 He's a Reform councillor in Tameside, Greater Manchester. 599 01:17:56,140 --> 01:17:57,420 Later in the pub, 600 01:17:57,420 --> 01:17:59,260 Councillor Dunning sits down with the canvassing team. 601 01:17:59,260 --> 01:18:00,740 He tells them the party has asked him to stand as an MP 602 01:18:00,740 --> 01:18:05,820 and explains how Reform can appeal to Restore voters. 603 01:19:20,540 --> 01:19:22,940 Later that day, the group moves to another pub 604 01:19:22,940 --> 01:19:28,100 with party member Ian Nilsson-Forrest. 605 01:19:28,100 --> 01:19:32,540 He stood but lost as a Reform councillor in May's local election. 606 01:20:28,860 --> 01:20:32,180 A Reform councillor, who aspires to be an MP, 607 01:20:32,180 --> 01:20:37,260 and wants to shoot politicians against a wall. 608 01:21:09,940 --> 01:21:20,540 WOMAN: Burnham, Andrew Murray, commonly known as Andy Burnham, 609 01:21:20,540 --> 01:21:21,980 the Labour and Co-operative Party, 24,927. 610 01:21:21,980 --> 01:21:23,860 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 611 01:21:23,860 --> 01:21:27,780 And I do hereby declare that Andy Burnham is duly elected. 612 01:21:27,780 --> 01:21:33,220 Thank you. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 613 01:21:33,220 --> 01:21:40,780 For Reform, second place in Makerfield is a setback. 614 01:21:40,780 --> 01:21:45,580 But the party's still seeking candidates. 615 01:21:45,580 --> 01:21:47,460 After volunteering there, 616 01:21:47,460 --> 01:21:52,860 something unexpected happens to our undercover reporter. 617 01:21:52,860 --> 01:21:59,180 He's asked to consider standing as a Reform councillor. 618 01:21:59,180 --> 01:22:04,980 He meets Ian Frost, 619 01:22:04,980 --> 01:22:10,380 chair of the local Reform branch in the area he claims to be from, 620 01:22:10,380 --> 01:22:15,180 Chester, for an initial vetting interview. 621 01:22:18,540 --> 01:22:21,900 We want to test how far potential red flags, 622 01:22:21,900 --> 01:22:25,220 such as public support for Tommy Robinson 623 01:22:25,220 --> 01:22:30,060 and clear anti-Muslim prejudice will raise questions. 624 01:22:30,060 --> 01:22:30,580 Our reporter expresses clear hatred of Muslims 625 01:23:41,940 --> 01:23:46,180 of Muslims 626 01:23:46,180 --> 01:23:49,460 to test if it would stop him from being a candidate. 627 01:25:05,620 --> 01:25:09,580 Later, Frost contacts our reporter 628 01:25:09,580 --> 01:25:15,340 to ask if he's tidied up his social media accounts... 629 01:25:15,340 --> 01:25:20,180 and to see if he still wants to stand. 630 01:25:20,180 --> 01:25:25,860 Our reporter declines the invitation. 631 01:25:34,700 --> 01:25:36,500 NIGEL FARAGE: Today, I will resign as a Member of Parliament 632 01:25:36,500 --> 01:25:42,860 for Clacton-on-Sea, thereby forcing a by-election. 633 01:25:42,860 --> 01:25:44,980 Another high-profile by-election is called, 634 01:25:44,980 --> 01:25:50,980 this time, in Nigel Farage's own constituency, Clacton. 635 01:25:50,980 --> 01:25:54,580 Reform's leader triggered the election 636 01:25:54,580 --> 01:25:57,060 after a parliamentary watchdog 637 01:25:57,060 --> 01:26:03,100 began investigating a £5 million gift 638 01:26:03,100 --> 01:26:04,860 from a cryptocurrency billionaire he did not declare. 639 01:26:04,860 --> 01:26:11,820 He says he didn't need to. 640 01:26:11,820 --> 01:26:13,060 On the night the votes are counted, 641 01:26:13,060 --> 01:26:17,260 our undercover reporter attends a celebration thrown by Reform 642 01:26:17,260 --> 01:26:21,180 to thank party activists. 643 01:26:21,180 --> 01:26:22,100 It's called Farage Fest. 644 01:26:22,100 --> 01:26:25,740 Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. 645 01:26:25,740 --> 01:26:27,860 And parts of it are live streamed 646 01:26:27,860 --> 01:26:32,060 to Reform supporters across the country. 647 01:26:32,060 --> 01:26:36,060 I called this by-election 648 01:26:36,060 --> 01:26:39,660 because I wanted the people of Clacton, 649 01:26:39,660 --> 01:26:40,900 the voters of this constituency, 650 01:26:40,900 --> 01:26:45,380 to be my judge, not the mainstream media in Britain. 651 01:26:45,380 --> 01:26:50,540 With no other major party standing, the result is hardly a surprise. 652 01:26:50,540 --> 01:26:53,580 And the verdict is in. 653 01:26:53,580 --> 01:26:58,380 And it is a convincing, overwhelming win with more votes. 654 01:26:58,380 --> 01:27:06,300 CHEERING 655 01:27:06,300 --> 01:27:11,700 Farage uses his victory speech to attack what he describes as 656 01:27:11,700 --> 01:27:13,860 "a growing intolerance on the left". 657 01:27:13,860 --> 01:27:18,980 An intolerance that has now swept through 658 01:27:18,980 --> 01:27:21,700 the entire left wing politics of Britain 659 01:27:21,700 --> 01:27:28,060 and is... and is aided, abetted and incited every single day 660 01:27:28,060 --> 01:27:38,060 by broadcasters and national newspapers. 661 01:27:47,740 --> 01:27:51,980 In the crowd is Dean Miller, the Reform councillor from Bromley 662 01:27:51,980 --> 01:28:00,700 we secretly filmed in Makerfield making racist and violent comments. 663 01:28:00,700 --> 01:28:00,940 This is party activist Jason Powell. 664 01:28:30,300 --> 01:28:33,340 This is party activist Jason Powell. 665 01:28:33,340 --> 01:28:38,180 He came to Clacton to help with canvassing for Nigel Farage 666 01:28:38,180 --> 01:28:42,660 and wants to stand as a Reform MP in the next general election. 667 01:30:26,700 --> 01:30:27,620 Though he said he passed vetting, 668 01:30:27,620 --> 01:30:30,340 Powell recently told us he hadn't been selected to run as an MP. 669 01:30:30,340 --> 01:30:43,060 But he said there was a possibility of retrying. 670 01:30:43,060 --> 01:30:46,380 After secretly filming inside Reform for a year, 671 01:30:46,380 --> 01:30:51,780 politicians and officials across the party have been caught 672 01:30:51,780 --> 01:30:53,900 on camera expressing views that many will find offensive, 673 01:30:53,900 --> 01:30:59,340 racist and sexist. 674 01:30:59,340 --> 01:31:01,500 Some have made threats of violence. 675 01:31:01,500 --> 01:31:07,180 Many of them talk about concealing their real views 676 01:31:07,180 --> 01:31:10,540 until Reform is in power. 677 01:31:10,540 --> 01:31:13,820 Our evidence suggests Nigel Farage has broken his promise 678 01:31:13,820 --> 01:31:17,780 to clean up his party, 679 01:31:17,780 --> 01:31:20,540 that Reform's vetting is ineffective, and worse, 680 01:31:20,540 --> 01:31:26,580 that, in some cases, rather than ousting the bigots and extremists, 681 01:31:26,580 --> 01:31:29,580 senior figures in the party, including Nigel Farage himself, 682 01:31:29,580 --> 01:31:33,780 are either turning a blind eye or protecting them.