Lies, lunacy and exaggerations: Reform’s response to the anti-refugee protests

By Gregory Davis and Harry Shukman

Since the protests in Epping began last week, elements of Reform UK have been eager to participate. Despite Nigel Farage’s claim that he would rid his party of “bad apples”, Reform councillors have praised and participated in the demonstrations at the Bell Hotel — the very same ones attended by activists from the BNP, Homeland, Blood & Honour and Combat 18. The party leadership, meanwhile, has inflamed tensions by describing Britain as a “tinderbox” as senior figures make predictions that civil war is inevitable. 

Jaymey McIvor, Reform’s councillor in Epping Forest (Ongar ward), attended a protest with his mother Karen Ivor, branch secretary of Reform’s Epping Forest. Both appeared with Aimee Louise Keteca, Reform’s councillor in Tendring (The Bentleys & Frating) and Melanie Moakson, a parish councillor in Ramsey & Parkeston. 

Karen McIvor, Melanie Moakson, Aimee Keteca (credit: Reform Exposed) 

Jaymey McIvor posted a video of the 21st July demonstration, praising those taking part as “strong women”. One of them was Susan Clapp, a former BNP candidate. 

James Regan, a Reform town councillor in Epping Forest who attended one of the rallies, said the establishment is “diluting us”. Regan has described Muslim women as an “infestation” in a post on his Facebook page.

Orla Minihane, vice chair of Reform’s Epping Forest branch — who says she is an upcoming electoral candidate for the party — promoted a protest on 24th July at the Bell Hotel. She sent a digital flyer for the event to Tommy Robinson. Minihane has also encouraged other communities to hold their own events, writing on X: “If you live in an area that has a hotel occupied by asylum seekers, start organising.” 

She spoke last week at a rally, saying: “We don’t know who they are, we don’t know what their background is, but they don’t share our values, they don’t respect women and they do not respect children.”

On a national level, Reform’s leaders have done nothing to soothe community tensions. “Britain is a tinderbox,” wrote Zia Yusuf, the party’s head of DOGE. “What are we playing at?” said Lee Anderson, who went to the Britannia hotel in Canary Wharf. “Does anyone else feel that Britain is about to snap? asked Darren Grimes, Reform’s deputy leader in Durham County Council. Tim Montgomerie, a prominent Reform member and political commentator, likewise said the country is “at boiling point”. Farage himself said I don’t think anybody in London even understands just how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale

On his GB News show, Farage suggested Essex Police bussed in counter-demonstrators. “Did the police in some ways cause the violence?” he asked. Essex Police said they work to protect peaceful and lawful demonstrations. Farage, who had called for the chief constable of Essex Police to resign, later apologised and admitted officers had not bussed anyone to the protests.

Attention on the protests, particularly concerning asylum seekers, has spread to other branches of Reform beyond Essex. Lee Nallalingham, branch chair of Reform’s Newham and Tower Hamlets operation, has spread the rumour that asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel had been transferred to the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf. 

“Shutting down a migrant hotel” is part of his team’s work, Nallalingham added.

Nick Buckley, a former Reform mayoral candidate, has said civil war is coming to the UK. Yesterday he posted a video of demonstrators chanting “get them out” and “send them home”, along with the caption: “We need this at every migrant hotel. It is the only way. Be loud and proud. This is your country.”

Meanwhile on Facebook, the page for Reform’s Mid-Norfolk branch encouraged followers to attend a demonstration in Diss last weekend. “Peaceful resistance is the first step along the way to stopping this,” they wrote. Reform members — and party signs — were furthermore seen at protests in Norwich and Sutton-in-Ashfield on the weekend.

Reform say theirs is not a far-right party. The photos of their councillors and members marching shoulder to shoulder with far-right activists tells a very different story.