Labour MP David Lammy has accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of tolerating what he called “1950s-style hate” within his party and urged him to “clean up” Reform after a series of racism and xenophobia allegations involving its members.

Lammy, one of Labour’s most prominent figures on race and equality issues, said he would “never be cowed by racism” as he responded to recent attacks and claimed Reform was providing a political home for people with extremist views. Farage and Reform UK have rejected the accusations and deny fostering or excusing racism.

In comments reported on Friday, Lammy said the pattern of claims surrounding Reform candidates and activists pointed to a deeper problem inside the party rather than isolated lapses. He argued that Farage, as leader, had a responsibility to act decisively.

“He needs to clean up his party,” Lammy said, accusing Reform of allowing “1950s-style hate” to resurface in mainstream politics. He added that he would not be intimidated or driven out of public life by racist abuse.

The row follows a series of allegations that some Reform UK figures have used racist or openly xenophobic language, including on social media and in campaign activity. Critics say those incidents reveal an undercurrent of hostility towards minority communities and migrants within the party’s ranks.

Reform UK has pushed back strongly against that characterisation. Farage and senior figures insist the party does not tolerate racism and say individual cases are being exaggerated or misrepresented by political opponents and sections of the media. They argue that Reform’s stance is focused on robust debate over immigration and national identity, not on targeting people because of their race.

Lammy’s intervention underscores the growing tension between Labour and Reform over race, immigration and the tone of political campaigning. Labour has repeatedly accused Farage of “dog-whistle” politics, while Reform accuses Labour and other opponents of trying to shut down legitimate concerns about border control and cultural change by branding them racist.

Lammy, who has long campaigned on racial justice and previously led a government-commissioned review into the treatment of Black and minority ethnic people in the criminal justice system, framed the latest controversy as part of a wider battle over what is acceptable in public life. He warned that normalising inflammatory language risked fuelling division on Britain’s streets.

Supporters of Reform say the party is being unfairly maligned and insist that highlighting issues such as immigration levels, integration and pressure on public services is not inherently racist. They argue that many of the complaints arise from old or selectively edited clips and posts, and accuse opponents of waging a smear campaign.

However, campaign groups and anti-racism organisations have called on all parties to tighten vetting of candidates and to respond quickly to any allegations of discriminatory behaviour. They say repeated controversies involving individual Reform members raise questions about the culture and values being promoted by the party.

For now, the dispute sets up a sharp contrast between Lammy and Farage on both substance and style. Lammy has positioned himself as a high-profile critic of what he sees as the creeping re-legitimisation of racist rhetoric, while Farage portrays himself and his party as victims of political correctness and establishment hostility.

With both men likely to remain central voices in the national conversation, the clash over Lammy’s allegations and Reform’s response highlights how questions of race, belonging and the boundaries of acceptable speech continue to sit at the heart of Britain’s political debate.