The UK will go to the polls on July 4.
London:
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his anger following a racist slur directed at him by a supporter of Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK party. The incident was brought to light by a news channel, which aired a recording of a campaigner using the derogatory term “Paki,” a racial slur aimed at people of South Asian descent, in front of his daughters Krishna and Anoushka.
Sunak, Britain’s first ethnic minority prime minister, addressing the media on his election campaign trail, said, “It hurts, and it makes me angry. I don’t repeat those words lightly. I do so deliberately because this is too important not to call out clearly for what it is.”
“When you see Reform candidates and campaigners, seemingly using racist and misogynistic language and opinions seemingly without challenge, I think it tells you something about the culture within the Reform Party,” the 44-year-old added.
Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, condemned the remarks as “appalling” and distanced himself from the campaigner Andrew Parker’s comments. Farage, running for Parliament, noted that a few individuals had “let us down” and that such sentiments did not reflect the views of the party or its supporters.
“The appalling sentiments expressed by some in these exchanges bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK,” Farage said in a statement.
Reform UK, campaigning on an anti-immigration platform, has faced challenges vetting candidates due to the early election call. Despite these issues, Farage remains optimistic about gaining a foothold in Parliament, positioning his party as the “real” opposition to the anticipated Labour government.
According to the anti-racism organisation Hope Not Hate, Reform UK has had to withdraw 166 candidates since the beginning of the year, many of whom have made racist or offensive remarks.
Sunakwarned voters that supporting Reform UK could inadvertently benefit the Labour Party, which he criticised for its tax policies. He also rebuked Farage for comments suggesting that Western actions provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling such statements damaging and appeasing to Vladimir Putin.
The UK will go to the polls on July 4.