'Disillusioned' Reform UK candidate disowns party following racism row and endorses Tories instead
30 June 2024, 16:47 | Updated: 30 June 2024, 20:56
A Reform UK candidate has disowned the party and has instead endorsed the local Conservative candidate amid a continuing row over racism.
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Liam Booth-Isherwood, who was standing in Erewash, has said there is a “significant moral issue” within the party following reports of “widespread racism and sexism”.
He said he no longer wants to be associated with the party and is suspending his campaign to support Tory candidate Maggie Throup to win the seat.
However, Mr Booth-Isherwood will still appear on the ballot as the Reform candidate with the deadline for candidate nominations having already passed.
He said in a statement: "Over the past few weeks, I have been increasingly disillusioned with the behaviour and conduct of Reform.
"Whilst I have campaigned alongside many decent, honest and hard-working people during the course of the general election campaign in Erewash, the reports of widespread racism and sexism in Reform have made clear that there is a significant moral issue within certain elements of the party.
“And the failure of the party's leadership to not only take this matter seriously, but also to fundamentally address it, has made clear to me that this is no longer a party I want to be associated with.
"As a result, I am announcing my endorsement of the Conservative Party candidate, Maggie Throup, for Erewash. Only she can stop Labour."
The full list of candidates for Erewash can be found here.
Chairman of the Reform party, Richard Tice, has since responded to Mr Booth-Isherwood's statement saying how it "shows dark forces at play by desperate Tories", in a post on X.
This comes after Reform withdrew support for three election candidates who allegedly made derogatory comments and racists remarks, it is understood.
Edward Oakenfall, Robert Lomas and Leslie Lilley will still appear on the ballot paper as Reform candidates but a party spokesman said they would sit as independent MPs should they be elected.
Despite this, he said if voters wished to register support for Reform, they should still vote for the candidates.
The spokesman added: "I’m not saying the situation is ideal, but the size of the Reform vote share nationally is what matters."
While discussing the three candidates on Question Time on Friday, party leader Nigel Farage said: “I want nothing to do with them”.
He added that "you get people in all parties saying bad things and wrong things” and argued the party had a small amount of time to find candidates after the surprise announcement of the general election in July by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Warning: This story contains language readers may find offensive
Last year, Mr Oakenfull, standing in Derbyshire Dales, posted derogatory comments about the IQ of sub-Saharan Africans on social media but has previously said the remarks were taken out of context.
The Times reported on 8 June that Mr Lomas, standing in Barnsley North, said black people should "get off [their] lazy arses" and stop acting "like savages".
Reform claimed at the time the comments were "out of context part quotations" and it needed more time to respond.
Mr Lilley, standing in Southend East, reportedly described people arriving on small boats as "scum" in a social media post, adding: "I hope your family get robbed, beaten or attacked."
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer has urged Mr Farage to "set the tone" - after a supporter of his Reform UK party used a racist slur when talking about the Prime Minister.
The comments of Andrew Parker, that were shown on a Channel 4 broadcast, have been condemned by all political parties.
The Labour leader accused Mr Farage of not doing enough after the incident, saying that it is the leader who sets the “tone, the culture and the standards” of a political party.
Read more: Reform UK withdraws support for three election candidates amid racism scandal
Sunak says Reform campaigner’s racial slur hurts and Farage has questions to answer
Mr Sunak has said the comments made him “angry” that his daughters had to see a Reform campaigner directing racist language towards him.
He said "My two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an effing 'P***'.
"It hurts and it makes me angry and I think he has some questions to answer.
"And 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."
Reform UK has since reported Channel 4 to the elections watchdog - alleging its reporting was fake.
Mr Farage maintains the recording - which was made in secret - was a set up.
He added: "The Channel 4 broadcast has clearly been made to harm Reform UK during an election period and this cannot be described as anything short of election interference."
A spokesperson for Channel 4 News said: "We strongly stand by our rigorous and duly impartial journalism which speaks for itself.
“We met Mr Parker for the first time at Reform UK party headquarters, where he was a Reform party canvasser.
"We did not pay the Reform UK canvasser or anyone else in this report. Mr Parker was not known to Channel 4 News and was filmed covertly via the undercover operation.”
In a statement, Mr Parker said he wanted to "apologise profusely to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views have reflected badly on them and brought them into disrepute as this was not my intention".
Essex Police have said they are "urgently assessing" comments in the programme "to establish if there are any criminal offences".
