Reform urged to sack candidate for 'go home' post

 

Reform urged to sack candidate for 'go home' post

6 days ago

Chris Parry posted on X that deputy prime minister David Lammy should "go home" to the Caribbean

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmnlj4gml2o

 

Labour have urged Nigel Farage to sack one of Reform's mayoral candidates, after it emerged he had said deputy prime minister David Lammy should "go home" to the Caribbean.

 

The comment was made by Chris Parry, a retired Navy rear admiral, who was chosen to run as the party's candidate in the postponed Hampshire and the Solent mayoral election.

 

Parry posted on X in February that Mr Lammy, who was born in London to Guyanese parents, should "go home to the Caribbean" where his "loyalty lies".

 

He told the BBC: "It's a confected story with people not taking the time to read the original tweets."

 

Labour said it was "staggering" that Farage has not taken any action and that there is no "context" that can excuse "telling a black British man from London to 'go home to the Caribbean"'.

 

Reform UK MP Danny Kruger said it was up to the party's leadership to decide whether to continue supporting Parry.

 

Kruger suggested he was technically not the candidate at the moment, because the election in which he is due to stand is among those postponed until 2028.

 

He said he could not comment without knowing the "context" but called Parry a "distinguished public servant" and said it was "good to have his support for Reform".

 

David Lammy said he was focused on delivering for the British people and tended to ignore "the noise"

 

Lammy referred to the comment in his own post last week, as he urged Clacton MP Farage to "stamp out" hate in his party.

 

Lammy said he had been sent a news story about the Reform UK candidate's post.

 

He 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."

 

Kruger said he was not aware of the details of what Mr Parry had posted but that he and the party "completely condemn any expression of racism".

 

"Nigel Farage has taken very clear action against a ... small number of, let's say, members and activists and councillors who have disgraced the party in that way."

 

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley MP 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."