Thanks to Hope Not Hate, seven Reform candidates for the forthcoming council elections have been exposed for the vile racism the party represents.
Reform UK has been working hard to present a more polished image to the public. Following a chaotic election campaign last year—during which over 100 candidates were dropped due to accusations of racism and extremism—Nigel Farage admitted that the party had been hampered by “amateurism”. Since then, Reform’s leadership has claimed it has turned a corner.
According to Farage and his team, the party now boasts 400 local branches and a membership exceeding 223,000. The party’s chairman, Zia Yusuf, recently claimed they had access to “an incredible talent pool”, insisting that Reform had “professionalised” its operation.
Yet, a new investigation by HOPE not hate casts serious doubt on that assertion. Their latest report, examining Reform’s candidates in the upcoming local elections in Doncaster, has uncovered serious concerns with the party’s vetting process. Of the candidates standing there, seven—more than 10%—have been flagged for sharing racist, Islamophobic, or conspiratorial content online.
The Candidates in Question:
1. Mark Broadhurst (Hatfield)
Broadhurst shared a photo of Adolf Hitler with the caption: “For fuck sake If I had chosen muslims I would have been a fucking legend [sic].” He also posted an offensive meme titled “How to Make a Muslim”.
2. Steve Plater (Adwick-le-Street and Carcroft)
Plater has endorsed content from Patriotic Alternative, a neo-Nazi organisation, sharing six of its articles on Facebook. One such article claimed Britain is ruled by a “multicultural and anti-White tyranny”. In other posts, Plater made deeply offensive remarks about Muslims, referencing “donkey” smells and “burning camel shit”.
3. Paul Cutts (Wheatley Hills & Intake)
Cutts has promoted conspiracy theories suggesting Islam is aiming to “out Breed us, And take Over [sic]”. He praised anti-Muslim activist Stephen Lennon (also known as Tommy Robinson), calling him “A PATRIOT”, and encouraged people to join a demonstration last October. Cutts has also shared content in support of misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate.
4. Isaiah-John Reasbeck (Hexthorpe & Balby North)
Reasbeck described Bradford as “one of the biggest shitholes in Europe”, attributing the decline to its Muslim community. He also warned people should be “fucking terrified” of Islam.
5. Guy Aston (Wheatley Hills & Intake)
Aston has engaged with content promoting the “Kalergi Plan” — a far-right conspiracy theory alleging a plot to eliminate white Europeans. He liked a post that claimed Jewish banking families such as the Rothschilds, Warburgs, and Baruchs had funded this alleged scheme.
6. Gerald “Ged” Squire (Norton & Askern)
Squire has repeatedly championed Tommy Robinson, posting in his support at least 41 times last year. “Release him now or you may see a different tolerant people,” he warned in one post. In others, he insisted Robinson’s prison sentence was “so unjust” and declared, “They will never silence Tommy”.
7. Howard Rimmer (Roman Ridge)
Rimmer is a supporter of the Traditional Britain Group, a far-right organisation advocating for the “repatriation” of immigrants and citizens of non-British heritage. He has shared posts claiming “low IQ” immigrants commit serious crimes and receive lenient punishments, adding that “they come from shit countries and want everything that we have built”. He has also called for boycotts of “unChristian” shops and praised both Robinson and anti-Islam activist Anne Marie Waters.
Old Problems Persist
Farage has previously admitted that the party’s lack of resources led to serious failures in candidate screening during the general election. “We weren’t big enough, wealthy enough, or professional enough to vet general election candidates properly,” he said at the time.
Despite the party’s claims of progress, the findings in Doncaster suggest little has changed. The presence of candidates with extreme and offensive views continues to raise serious questions about Reform UK’s ability—or willingness—to enforce the professional standards it now claims to uphold.
