Nigel Farage urged to droop councillor over ‘racist’ and ‘sickening’ social media posts
Reform UK’s candidate for Redcar, Mike Manning posted mocking Jewish and Muslim communities, writing that ‘there is something about circumcision that goes to their heads’
Nigel Farage has been urged to drop Mike Manning as a candidate(Image: Getty Images)
Nigel Farage is facing calls to suspend a Reform council candidate over comments branded “sickening” and “racist”.
Reform UK’s candidate for Redcar, Mike Manning posted mocking Jewish and Muslim communities, writing that “there is something about circumcision that goes to their heads”. Mr Manning, a former Royal Artillery serviceman, also repeatedly made reference to “traditional stuffed chimpanzee” in comments on posts celebrating Kwanzaa, a festival marking African-American heritage and culture.
Anna Turley, Labour Party Chair and MP for Redcar, has now called for Mr Manning to be dropped as a candidate. She said: “The deluge of Reform politicians spouting vile racism and bigotry deepens by the day. Nigel Farage has refused to take action on his politicians complaining about black and Asian faces on TV, and telling Black British MPs to ‘go home’.
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“Farage must finally get a backbone and act against this sickening language. He must immediately suspend Mike Manning, and his party’s campaign in Zetland ward, and make clear that Mr Manning is no longer a Reform UK candidate, to show he does not endorse these grim remarks.”
The Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper has now written to the Reform UK leader demanding he kick Mr Manning out. Ms Cooper said: “Nigel Farage must suspend Reform’s council candidate for Redcar, Mike Manning, who has hurled such sickening insults at Jewish and Muslim communities.
“Farage seems happy for this kind of person to represent him in public office. He must kick out his candidate and make clear these kinds of awful views have no place in British politics.”
In her letter, Ms Cooper goes on to say “these kinds of racist, antisemitic, xenophobic beliefs have no place in our politics”.
It continues: “Did you vet Mr Manning? If so, did you decide his awful beliefs were acceptable to you? If not, will you accept that you lied to the British public in promising that your party would research those individuals representing Reform UK in public life?”.
Ms Copper also described the remarks as “unconscionable”, and added “I urge you to suspend him immediately from Reform and make clear these racist views have no place in your party”.
Mr Manning is standing in the the Zetland ward on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, in which Labour is the biggest party but the council operates without overall control. Last year Reform UK ripped up the membership of their council leader in Staffordshire after “bigoted” social media posts.
At a press conference earlier this month, Nigel Farage admitted that Reform UK’s vetting had been “p**s poor”. Reform UK has now opened a disciplinary investigation after being made aware of the offensive posts. Reform UK has been approached for comment.
