Nigel Farage is facing criticism for allegedly ignoring racism within his party by not removing a candidate who made derogatory remarks towards David Lammy, suggesting he should return to the Caribbean.
The pressure is growing on Farage to take action against Chris Parry following the emergence of the offensive comment over a week ago. Despite being confronted with the statement, Richard Tice, Farage’s deputy, declined to condemn the mayoral candidate for Hampshire and the Solent.
David Lammy, a London-born Deputy Prime Minister, has urged Farage’s party to address what he described as “1950s-style hate.” Labour chairwoman Anna Turley has written to Farage demanding the removal of Parry from the party and as a candidate for the mayoral election in Hampshire and the Solent.
The controversy arose when Parry shared a news article about slavery reparations on Twitter and commented that Lammy should return to the Caribbean, questioning his loyalty to the UK. In an interview, Parry avoided directly addressing whether he believed Lammy’s allegiance was to the UK.
Despite the outcry, Reform MP Danny Kruger refrained from criticizing Parry, citing a lack of understanding of the context of the remarks. Tice also avoided further comment on the matter, stating he had already responded.
In her letter to Farage, Turley expressed disappointment at the party’s inaction regarding Parry’s comments and emphasized the importance of addressing racist remarks within political discourse.
She highlighted previous instances where Reform took action against members making racist statements, such as revoking the membership of Ian Cooper for derogatory remarks against public figures including Sadiq Khan and David Lammy.
The controversy has drawn attention from other political figures, with Keir Starmer referencing the incident during a session of PMQs, accusing Farage of promoting discord and disunity.