Reform UK is hiring a 'vetting officer' after a swathe of its newly elected councillors left their posts following revelations of racist social media activity. The party lost 22 councillors in the two weeks since winning over 1,400 seats in the local elections earlier this month.
Job Advertisement Details
A job advertisement accessible via the party's website states that Reform is looking for a 'meticulous and highly organised' candidate to 'carry out background checks, social media audits, and reputational risk assessments on prospective candidates standing for election under the Reform UK banner.' Responsibilities include conducting 'background checks, social media reviews, and due diligence on prospective candidates,' identifying and assessing 'reputational risks, escalating serious concerns to senior leadership, and maintaining accurate, confidential records of all vetting activity.' The role is based in Westminster, and another advertisement for the same vacancy on the website w4pm.org lists the salary as £32,000-£40,000.
Recent Controversies
Stuart Prior, who was elected to Essex County Council and Rochford District Council, resigned on May 11, just days after winning the seats. Before the elections, it was revealed that Prior had shared racist posts on social media, in which he referred to white people as 'the master race' with larger brains. Glenn Gibbins was similarly suspended from Sunderland City Council less than a week after being elected, after he suggested that the city's Nigerian residents should be melted down to 'fill in potholes.'
Reactions and Apologies
Speaking on BBC's Politics North, deputy leader of Durham County Council Darren Grimes said the incident had been 'a failure of the vetting process.' Gibbins apologised, writing: 'A number of years ago, prior to standing for election and before joining Reform UK, I made a series of posts on my personal Facebook profile which were intended as jokes, but were made in extremely poor taste and with poor judgement. I fully recognise that these comments were entirely inappropriate and I sincerely apologise to anyone who may have been offended by them. The posts do not reflect my personal beliefs or values, and I regret both the language used and the offence caused. My focus is fully on serving the residents who elected me, and I remain committed to representing the people of Hylton Castle Ward to the best of my ability.'
Other Incidents
Others who have managed to hold onto their posts have made rather bold demands during their first few weeks in office, including requesting a safety committee to investigate unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), also known as UFOs, at Doncaster airport. Robert Kenyon, the party's candidate running against Andy Burnham in Makerfield, was revealed by Metro to have made provocative posts on the social media platform X before his account was suspended. These included asking: 'Is it a hate crime for Asian men walk round in Birmingham assaulting white people en masse [sic]?' He also replied to a tweet by Owen Jones calling the rioters a 'massive danger,' writing on August 9: 'Let's be honest Owen, there was never a threat from the far right because they don't really exist.'
Context and Implications
It is not abnormal for would-be political candidates to be vetted before they stand, and the timing of this vacancy could be a coincidence. However, given Reform's recent track record, they could probably do with finding someone to fill the role sooner rather than later. Metro has contacted Reform UK for comment.
