Reform UK has withdrawn its support for Raymond Saint, a candidate running in the Basingstoke constituency, after revelations about his previous affiliation with the British National Party (BNP). Saint’s name was found on a leaked list of BNP members from 2009, which he did not disclose during the candidate selection process.
Despite this withdrawal of support, Saint’s name will still appear on the ballot paper. Reform UK, a party led by Nigel Farage, emphasizes that it does not accept members who have been affiliated with the BNP, a far-right political party. A spokesperson for the party stated, “As Nigel Farage has repeatedly made plain, people who belong or used to belong to the BNP are not welcome in the Reform UK party.”
The party accused Saint, a former plumber, of failing to declare his past political affiliation during the vetting process. “Every candidate was asked to declare their past or present political affiliations and was specifically asked whether they had ever been a member of the BNP. Mr. Saint failed to do so and clearly lied to us,” the spokesperson added.
The revelation comes as the current MP for Basingstoke, Dame Maria Miller, faces a challenging re-election campaign. A recent MRP poll indicated that the Conservative incumbent is trailing behind Labour by 14 points, with Reform UK holding 11% of the vote in the constituency.
On the Basingstoke Reform UK website, Saint had expressed his disillusionment with the Conservative Party, claiming to be “politically homeless” and joining Reform UK in hopes of restoring what he described as “some kind of normality” to the country.
Saint has also faced criticism locally for failing to attend a hustings organized by a Hindu community group, which aimed to engage candidates with the diverse electorate of Basingstoke. A local source commented, “Basingstoke is a very diverse town where communities from all backgrounds live in harmony… There is no place for racism or hate in our borough.”
This incident follows another recent controversy for Reform UK, where Grant StClair-Armstrong, a candidate in Saffron Walden, resigned after past blog posts advocating for BNP support were unearthed. StClair-Armstrong, who was running against Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, expressed regret over his 2010 posts.
Reform UK has expressed frustration with the vetting company they employed for candidate checks, indicating that they felt let down by the service provided.
As the election approaches, the party’s handling of candidate backgrounds and affiliations will likely come under increased scrutiny. The situation underscores the ongoing challenges political parties face in thoroughly vetting candidates to ensure alignment with their values and public expectations.
