ITV footage puts Reform vetting under fresh scrutiny
An undercover investigation by ITV News recorded councillors and candidates making racist, Islamophobic and sexist remarks.
Reform UK is facing renewed questions about its candidate-vetting procedures after ITV reported that an investigation had recorded councillors and candidates making racist, Islamophobic and sexist comments in secretly recorded conversations. The party said investigations had begun and that some members had been suspended.
ITV News reported on Wednesday that its ITV Exposure investigation had recorded multiple elected Reform councillors and party candidates during local and by-election campaigns in England and Wales in 2025 and 2026. The report attributed the remarks to named public officials and candidates, while omitting the most offensive language from its published account.
Among those identified was Alan Feeney, a Solihull councillor who had defected from the Conservatives. ITV said he made hostile comments about Asian people and Muslims while campaigning. Feeney had already announced that he was leaving Reform for what he called personal reasons and would continue as an independent councillor.
The investigation also named Dean Miller, a Bromley councillor, and reported comments about race, religion and the monarchy. ITV said Miller had since resigned from Reform and had attributed his conduct partly to medication for a chronic pain condition. Chris Whelan, another Solihull councillor named in the report, had also left the party, citing personal and health reasons.
The report said the recordings raised questions not only about individual behaviour but also about how candidates presented themselves to voters. In one exchange, councillors were reported to have discussed presenting themselves as acceptable to a broad electorate while keeping unpopular policies or intentions out of campaign messages.
Reform UK told ITV that it had begun investigations into members, activists or councillors who had behaved inappropriately. The party said some people who did not share its values could initially pass vetting, while arguing that this could happen in any organisation. It added that vetting had been improved and prioritised.
Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, said in a video posted on X that one of the people filmed by ITV was a Conservative plant attempting to damage the party. He did not name the individual. ITV said the description appeared to refer to Feeney, but that identification remains an inference rather than an independently established fact.
The findings come as Reform has built a substantial presence in local government, making failures in candidate selection more politically consequential. The full ITV Exposure documentary, Undercover: A Year in Reform, is scheduled for broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 18 October. Further material may therefore emerge, but the allegations currently rest on ITV’s investigation and the responses reported alongside it.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- ITV News reported that undercover recordings showed Reform councillors and candidates making racist, Islamophobic, sexist and violent remarks.
- Reform said it had begun investigations and had improved its vetting procedures.
- Richard Tice alleged that one person filmed by ITV was a Conservative plant, but did not name that person.
Left
Arguments Reform should face strong political and organisational accountability because candidate vetting determines who can represent voters and exercise public power. The reported remarks suggest that individual misconduct may reflect wider failures to prevent racism and intimidation from entering elected politics.
Values Equality, anti-racism, inclusion and democratic integrity.
Consequences Weak action could normalise extremist language and damage trust among minority communities; suspensions, resignations and stronger independent standards could reduce that risk.
Centre
Arguments The allegations should be investigated seriously, but each person should be assessed on evidence and given due process. A party-wide conclusion should not be drawn solely from undercover material before the full programme and responses have been examined.
Values Fair process, institutional accountability, evidence and proportionality.
Consequences The appropriate response may include transparent investigations, clear standards for councillors and an independent review of vetting, while avoiding collective punishment without evidence.
Right
Arguments A political party should not be judged entirely by the remarks of a limited number of individuals, especially where recordings may lack context or involve undercover methods. Reform’s response should be tested against actual disciplinary action, while voters retain the right to judge the party’s record.
Values Individual responsibility, due process, political competition and freedom of expression within the law.
Consequences Overbroad condemnation could strengthen claims of partisan media bias, but failure to remove candidates who breach clear standards could undermine Reform’s credibility and electoral prospects.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article carefully attributes the allegations to ITV’s investigation and separates confirmed responses from inference. The publication date, resignations and Reform’s stated response are supported by the cited sources.
- confirmed ITV News published findings from an undercover investigation involving Reform councillors and candidates on 14 October 2026. — Reported and dated by ITV News. source
- confirmed The investigation covered campaigns in England and Wales during 2025 and 2026. — Stated in the ITV News report. source
- confirmed Alan Feeney and Chris Whelan had left Reform before publication. — ITV reported their resignations and the reasons given. source
- confirmed Reform said investigations had begun and that vetting had been improved. — The party response is quoted in the ITV report. source
- confirmed Richard Tice alleged that one filmed person was a Conservative plant but did not name them. — Reported by ITV and separately discussed by Left Foot Forward; the identity remains unconfirmed. source
Editor's note
It is certain that ITV News published findings from an undercover investigation on 14 October and reported Reform’s response. The underlying recordings and the wider documentary had not yet been independently assessed in public, and some individuals had not responded by publication.Sources
More on this in other media
- BBC News — „reform uk”
- The Guardian — „reform uk”
- Sky News — „reform uk”