Minority groups brace for surge in racism after Reform UK election gains

* Many minority communities and anti-racism groups say Reform’s rise has increased fears about racism, anti-Muslim rhetoric, and community safety.
* Activists in Birmingham, Oxford, Edinburgh, and Glasgow reported anxiety among Black, brown, migrant, and Muslim communities.
* Concerns intensified after a newly elected Reform councillor in Sunderland was suspended over an allegedly racist social media post.
* Campaigners argue Reform’s rhetoric on deportation and immigration legitimises hostility toward minorities.
* Anti-racism organisers say Reform victories may embolden people already expressing racist or divisive views.
* Some campaigners also criticised controversial rhetoric from independent and Workers party-linked figures in Birmingham, including Akhmed Yakoob.
* A Labour councillor said the election campaign saw increased acceptance of homophobia and transphobia.
* Reform MP Richard Tice rejected claims communities should fear Reform and instead highlighted concerns about antisemitism against Jewish people.
* Anti-racism groups say they intend to intensify organising efforts in response to Reform’s electoral gains.

Also bracing for all the comments telling them they’re making it up

Sounds more like a perception of a surge in racism than an actual surge

Meanwhile Scotland has now got a sitting MSP who’s made at least 3 racially motivated comments against white people. It goes both ways, the Greens are no better for racism than Reform. Both are toxic self serving parties that are gaining momentum due to radicalisation of weak minded followers. They gain entry into politics to serve their own needs and beliefs rather than those of the people they represent who are from all different backgrounds.

This is what happens though, people want change, they want to vote in parties that have extreme views and this is what you get. I will stick with voting for parties that have a long track record of being neutral, centre or slightly leaning rather than these extremists.

When Farage is PM, racism will be encouraged as patriotism.

Look at the horrors being tweeted from the US government as a taste of how things will be here.

I managed a lady from Poland when the Brexit party was canvasing. She got a letter through her door more than once threatening to kick her out and reminding her to go back to her own country, some in hand writing… This was not an isolated case I found out and I was mortified. People who voted reform may not be racist but you are supporting the hate that will be put upon other humans who for the most part are here fully legally.

To quote the Leader of the Green Party, do these minority groups have a perception of a surge in racism or is there actually a surge in racism?

idk whats scarier, knowing you’re walking amongst people who secretly hate you for being an ethnic, or walking amongst people who are happy to express their hatred to you!

This is exactly what happened in the states too. A far right group motivated by racism felt emboldened and began to be more open about their bigotry. Then the media normalized the new level of bigotry and the cycle continues. The UK is headed down the same road as the US did 10 years ago.

Meanwhile foaming rabid Islamists march up and down our high streets demanding intifada and death to Jews. 

Can we all just stop being shitty to each other? No? Too much to ask? Right well i tried.

So many comments, and so few of them are actually discussing the incoming surge in racism. Racism is bad, no matter who it is aimed at. Abusing/harming people for the colour of their skin is bad, but no, let’s keep defending the politics which enable this behaviour.

For the record, yes, immigration is important, but so are other, bigger issues, like reducing the wealth gap, which is the highest it’s ever been. Life expectancy between some people in this country is well over a decade!

How about supporting the NHS and avoiding privatising it any more?

Cost of living? I’m sick of my bills going up every year (at least!) without fail. Why can’t we direct the same energy at that as we do with immigration? That literally affects all of us in a bad way!

I was born here and the lack of empathy makes me want to leave. We’re supposed to be a great people, instead we’re ok with inflicting pain and physical harm on others because of skin colour. WTF is wrong with us?

**Elected during the local elections:**

**Stuart prior** – **Elected** Essex – praised the rape of two sikh women (“good, reap it”) declared white people the master race, claimed genocide can’t occur against Muslim “rats” and called for a purge of third world “invaders” to this country. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/05/mps-demand-reform-suspend-candidate-over-claims-he-celebrated-of-sikh-women

**Derrick bullock** – **Elected** Bolton – “shoot the p*ki’s” https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/10/reform-uk-local-election-candidate-was-twice-disciplined-by-tories-over-alleged-racist-comments

**Jay Leslie Cooper** – **Elected** Sefton – Holocaust denier: the Hallocaust [sic] is a hoax. “There wasn’t [sic] even 6 million Jews in Europe at the time. Propaganda” https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/reform-uk-face-questions-after-holocaust-is-a-hoax-candidate-elected/

**Ben Rowe** – **Elected** Plymouth – blamed “Jews” for flooding Europe with immigrants who “breed like rats” shared a video glorifying mecca being bombed https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g51jl2zzno

**Glenn Gibbins** – **Elected** Hylton Castle Sunderland- “Nigerians should be melted down to fill potholes” https://metro.co.uk/2026/05/09/reform-candidate-said-nigerians-melted-fill-pot-holes-wins-seat-28297091/

**David Barker** – **Elected** Sunderland – Severely beat up his girlfriend and blamed it on his cannabis use, additonally accused of child abuse and neglect https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/crime/paranoid-sunderland-man-in-horrific-attack-on-girlfriend-that-left-her-black-and-blue-357368

**Phil Tierney** – **Elected** Solihull – Open Islamophobe, called for the closure of all mosques, denial of religious freedoms https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgpn1jyd2lo

**Not elected but had a contributing role to the campaign:**

**Howrd Dini** – Not elected, West London Candidate – Self-Identified “proud islamophobe”, wants to celebrate every palestinain being dead, called for a mass shooting of muslims and called immigration an “invasion” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy012knxk3lo

**Eleanor Jackson** – London Colney branch chair – Called for remigration/ethnic cleansing via mass deportation of non-white minority populations, referred to immigrants as “imported thugs” https://hopenothate.org.uk/2026/05/06/meet-the-racist-restore-britain-activist-on-the-ballot-for-reform-uk/

**Paul Stephen Conway** – Not elected, Enfield Lock Candiate – Open Neo-Nazi with links to Skinhead network *Blood and Honour* and BNP, made repeated racist & antisemetic jokes/comments online https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/enfield-reform-uk-candidate-is-nazi-who-celebrated-holocaust/

**Matt Davis** – Not elected, Chingford Candidate – Called Islam “evil” labelled it a “death cult” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-racist-islamphobic-local-election-candidates-nigel-farage-b2968453.html

**Graham Holland** – failed vetting initially but decision later reversed – Muslims taking over the country and training to kill our kids, blamed his racism on Nigerians https://archive.is/Sd6kC

**Matt Goodwin** – suspended antisemite remains as reform election agent https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/14/reform-activist-suspended-over-racist-antisemitic-comments-remains-election-agent-adam-mitula

**Adam Mitula** – suspended but no update on disciplinary outcome – openly uses the N-word and holocaust downplayer/diminisher https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c89k0g7vexeo

No surprise, UK has been racist well before Reform

My wife’s an immigrant. I also support Rupert Lowe. Stopping people from entering the country illegally is not racist, it’s the right thing to do. 

It’s wild how the playbook is always to deny there’s a problem right up until someone points out a specific example, then it’s “well that’s not systemic.” The mental gymnastics are exhausting to watch.

Haha the guardian really is laughable at this point. Who are the idiots subscribed keeping it afloat like a turd in newspaper form lol