Up to 12 newly elected Reform UK councillors are under scrutiny for sharing social media posts supporting far-right content, including explicitly Islamophobic remarks. These revelations follow Reform UK’s major success in the 2025 local elections, where the party won 677 council seats across England.
Among the councillors facing criticism is Paul Harrison of Leicestershire County Council. He endorsed a post by Britain First’s chair asking whether mass deportations were needed. Harrison responded with a “yes” alongside an AI-generated image of Muslim men waving Pakistani flags.
Russell Cherry, elected in Thurrock, reportedly shared content from Paul Golding, Britain First’s leader. Golding has a criminal conviction for religiously aggravated harassment. Ivan Dabbs, a councillor in West Northamptonshire, allegedly shared similar material, including calls for far-right street demonstrations.
The vetting of Reform UK candidates relied heavily on Ferretly, a US-based AI social media screening platform. The tool claims to detect hate speech, bullying, and extremist content. Reform’s leadership previously said it used this software as part of what it described as “the most in-depth vetting procedure” of any political party.
However, critics now question that claim. Nigel Farage told Times Radio on April 30 that vetting was done internally with AI tools to save time. Unlike Reform, the Conservative Party uses a 30-member team to vet general election candidates. Labour also relies on manual, multi-layered screening methods.
Since the election, Reform UK has already lost three councillors. Donna Edmunds, elected in Shropshire, quit the party days after her win. She accused Reform’s leadership of running a cult-like operation and disrespecting members.
Luke Shingler, elected in Warwickshire, announced he would serve as an independent. He cited his employment with the RAF as a reason to avoid political alignment. Desmond Clarke, elected in Nottinghamshire, resigned his seat, which now requires a byelection.
Many of the controversial posts were discovered by the anti-extremism group Hope Not Hate. Their investigation found that some Reform UK candidates promoted anti-Muslim hate and praised extremists like Tommy Robinson. Others circulated climate denial content and shared material from Holocaust denier David Irving.
Georgie Laming, the campaign group’s director, criticised the party’s vetting failures. She said Reform UK has not removed candidates who have spread extremist views. She also argued that AI-based checks cannot replace genuine accountability.
Reform UK has been approached for comment but has not yet responded.
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