Nigel Farage rushes to defend Reform candidates after 'friendship' with fascist exposed

It has been revealed that around one in 10 candidates for Farage’s party are connected on Facebook with Raikes.

Rushing to their defence, the Reform UK leader said it was “utter cobblers” to say they had Nazi sympathies because “on Facebook mates send each other things” without “having any idea where it comes from”.

Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, he added: “I can only apologise that not all of our candidates have been to Eton, to Oxford, not all of our candidates are part of the London set.”

Raikes, a former organiser for the British National Party, founded the NBU in the image of Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists.

Their website claims that “never in our history has the British population lacked spirit as it does now”, adding that young people are engaging in “levels of hedonism that would bring the aristocrats of the Roman Empire to shame”.

Whilst Farage said he would consider disowning some candidates, he said he does not have the power to deselect them.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Reform set to scrap car ban, slash fuel duty and crack down on Clean Air Zones
• Reform UK OVERTAKES Tory Party in bombshell new poll
• Nigel Farage offered private security after milkshake and other objects thrown at Reform leader

His comments come after various party members made remarks saying that Britain should have done a deal with Hitler or that Islam is the same is Nazism.

He called Ian Gribbin, the Bexhill candidate “blooming stupid” after he said that Britain should have stayed neutral against the Nazis during World War Two.

He added of the various candidates: “I can disown them, but they are legally selected. They are legally on the ballot. I can disown them, but they are legally [selected].

“I may well do that (disavow them). I haven’t had time to think. I've been doing this job nine days,” he said.

“A lot of the stuff you're criticising is how ordinary folk down the pub speak.” Raikes' X account has reportedly shared Islamophobic and xenophobic content, as well as images of men giving Nazi salutes.

A party spokesman said: “Millions of people who are struggling want journalists to discuss policy and ideas, not juvenile gotcha identity politics.

“We take all allegations very seriously and will take appropriate action after a thorough internal investigation.”

Reform UK said it was “no crime to follow people with whom one has profound disagreements”.