Reform UK and ITV Exposure: A Case of Indiscreet Disclosures and Heartfelt Expressions of ‘British Identity’
‘Undercover: A Year in Reform’ was suitably broadcast on ITV between 10:20 PM and 12:00 AM-during the television watershed- on Sunday 18 October 2026. Excerpts from the 95-minute-long ITV News documentary had already been broadcast four days previously, and the contents widely discussed in the mainstream media. The year-long investigation by undercover reporters from ITV Exposure, “ITV’s flagship current affairs strand”, garnered the private opinions of Reform UK activists, candidates, and councillors in England and Wales during the local council and Senedd elections in May 2026, and at crucial parliamentary by-elections, including the contests in Denton and Gorton (February 2026), and Makerfield (June 2026). ITV Exposure also managed to infiltrate Reform’s headquarters at Millbank Tower, overlooking the Thames, where “Sophie” began a stint as Press Officer in January 2026. Sophie was warned by Director of Communications Ed Sumner at the outset that she would “have to start defending the indefensible.”
The investigation “uncovered” the racist, aggressive, and misogynist views of some interviewees. Their unflattering remarks were directed at Asians, Blacks, Muslims, asylum seekers, female Reform candidates, and even King Charles himself, who was alleged to be a “Muslim.” It must be noted, in this context, that Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf- the son of Sri Lankan immigrants-claims to be a ‘British Muslim patriot’-a contradiction in terms for some indignant party members. Sarah Pochin, Reform MP for Runcorn and Helsby, added her high-level insider perspective of a party that was dominated by “alpha males.”
Reform UK claims that the broadcast information was obtained by “extreme methods of deception” as part of a wider bid by mainstream media to undermine a party which represents the “silent majority.” The cited defences for unbridled speech by those caught in the act included alcohol, banter, and the effects of medication.
Notwithstanding the rights and wrongs of the investigative process, some Reform candidates have paid a heavy price for their remarks. Alan Feeney, who resigned from the Conservative Party in 2025 to join Reform UK, became a major casualty of his own opinions. He stepped down as deputy mayor of Solihull Borough Council, resigned as a councillor from Solihull Council and Birmingham City Councils, and left Reform UK. He was also suspended from his job as a custodial manager at HMP Birmingham. Other councillors who were caught in the act have also stepped down and resigned from Reform UK.
Nigel Farage was elected MP for Clacton-on-Sea on 5 July 2024. As the new party leader, he promised to “professionalise” Reform UK. Addressing the annual party conference in Birmingham in September 2024, he confirmed that “extremists” and bigots” were not welcome in the party. However, he had to qualify his promises in the light of the most recent comments by party members on the ITV documentary, by stating that “you can’t vet for future comments.”
Reform UK is under great pressure to expand its candidate list and its electoral footprint to keep up in its role as an emerging competitor to the established political parties in Britain. In trying to achieve this goal, based on anecdotal information, it appears to have adopted a flexible and somewhat leaky vetting process which has allowed various fringe figures to legitimise themselves as party members. Some prospective candidates appear to have been advised to delete offensive social media posts to make them acceptable as official party representatives. Reform UK currently requires candidates to go through an “extremely thorough” three-stage vetting process- “the most stringent of any UK political party.” Candidates have to navigate the stages of eligibility and selection (“rules to be published in due course”) prior to nomination. Applicants are required to pay a fee of £250 to apply to the List and “can expect the process for being accepted onto the List to take around 12 months.” Following preliminary vetting checks, successful candidates will be “entitled to attend a Parliamentary Assessment Centre.” Judging by available information, and reinforced by evidence from the documentary, the vetting process can be, at best, considered as ‘work in progress.’
Reform UK meanwhile continues on its journey through Britain’s political wasteland, secure in the knowledge that significant numbers of the general public openly subscribe to its policies and, on occasion, but less openly so, to the more extreme views recently expressed by some of its few “bad apples.”
Ashis Banerjee