Reform MP confronted as David Lammy blasts ‘Nineteen Fifties-style hate’ in racism row
David Lammy has called on Nigel Farage to tackle ‘1950s-style hate’ within his party as pressure mounts to punish a candidate who said the Deputy PM should ‘go home’
One of Nigel Farage’s key lieutenants has refused to condemn a Reform candidate who said David Lammy should “go home” to the Carribean.
Pressure is mounting on Mr Farage to act after it emerged Chris Parry had claimed the London-born Deputy PM’s “loyalties” lay outside the UK. At a press conference on Monday morning, Reform MP Danny Kruger claimed not to know the “context” of the remark by Mr Parry, mayoral candidate for Hampshire and the Solent.
In February Mr Parry shared a news story about slavery reparations on Twitter/X, writing: “Lammy must go home to the Caribbean where loyalty lies”. Mr Lammy has called on Mr Farage to “clean up” the party and stamp out the “1950s-style hate” in its ranks.
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Asked if this was racist, Mr Kruger – who defected from the Tories to Reform in September – said: “I’m afraid to say without knowing the context of them, without having understood the point that’s being said, I can’t comment in detail, that is one for Nigel and the party leadership to decide.
“But I do recognise that Chris Parry is a distinguished public servant, it’s good to have his support for Reform.”
Keir Starmer referred to the remark at PMQs last week, accusing Mr Farage of sowing “chaos and division”. Labour chair Anna Turley said: “It’s staggering that 10 days after these racist comments were first reported, Nigel Farage is still refusing to take action.
“No matter what Reform’s senior leadership say, telling a black British man from London to ‘go home to the Caribbean’ is racist, and no ‘context’ can excuse it. Nigel Farage should stop turning a blind eye to racism in his party and sack his candidate immediately.
“Reform want to drag our politics to a dark place and this inaction shows why they are not fit for high office.”
Mr Kruger refuted this, telling The Mirror: “I’m not aware of the details of that allegation, but my simple point is we do completely condemn any expression of racism. Nigel Farage has taken very clear action against a small number of members and activists and councillors who have disgraced the party in that way.
“I’m confident that we are opposed to any expression of racism.” The Mirror has contacted Reform UK for further comment.
The outrage over Mr Parry’s post comes days after Reform’s council leader in Staffordshire, Ian Cooper, stepped down after being accused of making racist remarks on social media.
Mr Starmer told the Commons last Wednesday: “In Hampshire the mayoral candidate says the deputy Prime Minister, a black British man born in this country, should go back to the Caribbean.
“In Staffordshire, Reform’s leader has been exposed as a white supremacist. It’s not a coincidence, Mr Speaker, because chaos and division is the member for Clacton’s life work.”
Mr Cooper’s Reform membership was revoked after past remarks on social media came to light. He quit as council leader and now sits as an independent member.
Last week Mr Lammy wrote: “I will never be cowed by racism. But I will call it what it is. Nigel Farage, you need to clean up your party and stamp out this 1950s-style hate.”
