Reform UK has faced backlash after refusing to drop a local election candidate who shared a racist post in the past. Elliott Allman, a former Tory and current candidate for Coalville North in Leicestershire, has come under fire for a 2013 post in which he made offensive remarks about black drivers on the M1.
Despite the resurfacing of the post, the party has decided to keep him on their candidate list.
🕵️♂️ The Racist Post Resurfaces
Allman, who is also the deputy chair for North West Leicestershire, shared the controversial post on Facebook, claiming that black drivers in Volkswagen cars tailgated him on the motorway. The post reappeared after campaign group Reform Party UK Exposed shared a screenshot on social media on 2 April.
When confronted, Allman attempted to downplay the incident, stating on Twitter: “Fail to see your point. What it shows is a fantastic maturing and development stage. I’m glad you’ve highlighted this to me. It reminds me of how far I’ve come. Thank you so much.”
🤔 Reform UK’s Response
Reform UK has stood by Allman, telling the BBC they are confident that he has matured since the incident. However, critics are not so convinced. Reform Party UK Exposed pointed out that Allman was 26 at the time of the post, asking how such “foolish comments” could be excused as youthful ignorance.
Meanwhile, more WhatsApp messages surfaced in which another Reform UK member suggested Allman should take a photo with a black friend to prove he’s not racist. “Have you a black friend you can have your picture taken with? I always have a black mate to pull out my back pocket,” the message read.
🧐 More Controversy: Another Candidate Under Scrutiny
This isn’t the first time Reform UK has faced issues with racist content from its candidates. Max Bethell, the Reform UK candidate for Bakewell, was also found to have shared a racist post on Instagram in 2019. When Reform Party UK Exposed raised the issue with the local branch chair, Jeremy Ruse, he initially claimed Bethell didn’t have an Instagram account. Later, Ruse suggested the account in question might not belong to Bethell at all.
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