On the Record · Open letter · 16 October 2026
16 October 2026
To Nigel Farage and the leadership of Reform UK
Dear Mr Farage and colleagues,
ITV’s reporting of racist and misogynistic remarks by Reform representatives raises serious questions about how people are selected for public office and how concerns about their conduct are handled. [1]
Resignations leave those questions unanswered. The public needs to know what checks were made, whether warnings were raised, and what changes will follow.
We ask Reform UK to commission an independent review of candidate vetting, complaint handling and leadership oversight, with published findings.
Please confirm by 30 October 2026 whether you will do so. We propose that you publish the reviewer’s identity, conflicts of interest, terms of reference and timetable within a further 30 days. These are CLA’s requested deadlines.
The review should:
- Examine selection decisions. Establish which checks were required and actually completed for the representatives featured in the investigation, including people who transferred from other parties.
- Trace earlier warnings. Establish whether complaints or concerns had previously been raised, when they reached responsible officials, and what action followed. Preserve the relevant records.
- Test whether failures extend further. Audit a clearly explained sample of other candidate and councillor files, rather than assume either that these are isolated cases or that all representatives are implicated.
- Protect a fair process. Give affected people an opportunity to respond, protect complainants and witnesses, and distinguish disputed allegations from established findings.
- Publish what changes. Release findings and recommendations, explain any necessary redactions, name those responsible for implementing changes and publish progress against a timetable.
Independence requires more than an external name. The reviewer should be able to examine relevant party records and report without party leadership rewriting the findings. Any restrictions on access or publication should be disclosed.
We acknowledge Reform’s statement to ITV that investigations and some suspensions have begun and that vetting has improved. Please explain the scope of those investigations, who is conducting them, and whether their findings will be published. [2]
This request concerns party governance. Council standards procedures and any criminal investigation have their own remit. We are not asking for guilt to be presumed or for membership alone to be treated as evidence of misconduct.
Please send your response to frank.reed.cla@gmail.com. We intend to publish substantive responses with their dates, subject to necessary privacy redactions, and will correct material errors promptly. Please identify any part of your reply that you believe should remain confidential and explain why.
Yours sincerely,
Frank Reed
Founder, Civil Liberties Action
Sources
- ITV News, investigation published 14 October 2026.
- ITV News, response reporting updated 15 October 2026.
CLA is a founder-led campaigning project, not a registered charity. Our founder is a Labour Party member. This interest is disclosed so readers can assess our work. We apply the same evidential standards across parties. See our funding and interests statement and evidence method.