On the Record: Raymond Dunning

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Raymond Dunning

Role: Independent councillor for Ashton Waterloo, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council; elected for Reform UK on 7 May 2026

“Even the legal ones … 18-30 year old young lads, train them up in the army in insurgency tactics, so they can go street-by-street, house-by-house picking the c**** up.”

What was said

During campaigning for the Makerfield parliamentary by-election in June 2026, ITV Exposure secretly recorded Dunning describing what he wanted a Reform government to do.

Dunning said he would deport people he believed did not deserve to be in the country “and their children as well”. When the undercover reporter asked whether he meant legal migrants, Dunning replied: “Even the legal ones”, adding that some people granted permission to remain should not have been.

He then proposed training 18-to-30-year-old men in the army in “insurgency tactics” so they could go “street-by-street, house-by-house” to collect people. When a Reform official warned that the plan would cause “massive civil unrest”, Dunning replied: “We're going to have civil unrest if we don't deal with it.”

Context and response

ITV described Dunning as a Reform councillor in Tameside and an aspiring MP who said he had been asked to stand as a parliamentary candidate. Tameside Council records that Dunning was elected for Reform UK in Ashton Waterloo on 7 May 2026.

ITV said Dunning had been approached for comment but reported no response at publication. Reform UK told ITV that investigations had begun where members, activists and councillors had behaved inappropriately, that some people had been suspended and that due process must be followed. The party did not identify which individuals were under investigation.

On 15 October 2026, Nigel Farage said it was not possible to vet what people might say “especially if they’re provoked in conversation”, said Reform dealt appropriately with people “saying and doing bad things”, and claimed the investigation reflected the establishment wanting Reform “out of the picture”.

In a statement reported on 15 October, Dunning said he was “deeply sorry”. He acknowledged that a private setting did not excuse his language, said he wished he had expressed his views more thoughtfully and offered a “heartfelt and unreserved apology” for hurt and offence. He said his political beliefs remained important to him but should be expressed with dignity and respect.

Evidence trail

Evidence status

Directly recorded and attributed by ITV Exposure. ITV published the quotations and described the date and campaign circumstances. The full unedited recording was not publicly available in the source reviewed by CLA.

Party and legal status

By 16 October 2026, Tameside Council listed Dunning as an Independent councillor. Tameside Correspondent reported that he had resigned from the borough Reform UK group; Dunning’s apology referred to his “former colleagues”. No completed party disciplinary finding was identified. A resignation and an internal party process are not administrative or legal findings.

On 16 October, Tameside Correspondent reported that it believed the matter had been referred to Greater Manchester Police as a hate crime and said the force would assess whether any criminal offence had occurred. CLA had not found a primary police statement confirming receipt of a referral or the opening of an investigation at the time of review. A reported referral or initial police assessment is not an arrest, criminal charge, conviction or finding.

CLA found no reported criminal charge, conviction, court judgment or final council standards finding concerning these recorded statements as of this review.

Last reviewed: 16 October 2026

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