Reform UK lost three councillors and launched a string of internal investigations after an ITV Exposure undercover investigation filmed its councillors and candidates making racist and violent remarks, including one who called Asian homeowners "parasites" and another who said King Charles should be beheaded because he is a Muslim. Labour chair Bridget Phillipson called the footage "truly sickening", while Andy Burnham faced questions at Prime Minister's Questions over two undisclosed dinners with Manchester City's chairman, ruled out a post-election deal with the Greens while they keep their "Zionism is racism" policy and was told to apologise for remarks about the Ann Widdecombe murder case. This is UKFCP's 24 hours in politics round-up.
Parliament is sitting, with John Healey's first Budget as Chancellor due later this month and Labour in its third year in office. Burnham used the afternoon to host Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street, days after Donald Trump's diesel deal with Russia.
Reform councillors filmed making racist remarks
ITV Exposure reporters went undercover with Reform candidates and councillors in England and Wales during the May local elections and four by-election campaigns, ITV News reported. It said Alan Feeney, deputy mayor of Solihull, was filmed calling Asian homeowners "parasites", and Dean Miller, a Bromley councillor, was recorded saying the King should be beheaded. Miller told ITV he is disabled and was heavily medicated at the time.
The Guardian reported that three councillors had quit and that Jamie Campbell, filmed alongside Feeney, remained in post. Reform said investigations had begun, that "not all individuals" filmed were members and that "There is no room for racism in Reform UK". The Guardian also reported that Nigel Farage postponed an announcement planned for Essex on Thursday, and that further footage of senior figures and headquarters staff is expected. Ed Davey called the footage "chilling".
Burnham's dinners with Man City chairman
Deleted Greater Manchester Combined Authority records show Burnham had two hospitality dinners with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak while mayor, the BBC reported. It said a previous register listed a £300 dinner in August 2017 and a dinner valued at about £699 at the Manchester derby in April 2018, neither of which appeared in the authority's statement on Monday disclosing his contacts with the club. The club has been found guilty of systematically breaking Premier League rules and will appeal.
Burnham's press secretary said hospitality was "declared in the usual way", according to the Independent. Asked at PMQs whether anyone at the club raised the charges with him, Burnham said: "They did not raise those issues with me." Shadow sports minister Louie French said he "cannot hide behind the GMCA".
Farage on charities and Chagos
Farage told US podcaster Benny Johnson that NGOs helping asylum seekers reach the UK "have actually aided and abetted criminality" and should face criminal penalties, the Guardian reported. He named no organisations. The RNLI said it would "rescue anyone in need without prejudice or fear", adding that the Channel accounts for 1.2 per cent of its launches, according to the Morning Star.
On the same podcast Farage said he would have offered Trump Diego Garcia "in perpetuity" if the president stopped talking about the Falklands, MercoPress reported. Kemi Badenoch called it "careless, loose talk" and told the Telegraph it was "humiliating". A White House official then accused her of "peddling fake news", according to HuffPost UK.
Burnham rules out deal with the Greens
Answering Conservative MP Dame Harriett Baldwin at PMQs, Burnham said he "unequivocally condemns" the Green conference motion declaring that "Zionism is racism" and that "this side of the House will have nothing to do with it", Politics.co.uk reported. The Independent described it as a hardening of his position after he declined to rule out a coalition in Berlin last week. Members passed the motion 1,022 to 813 on 4 October, with four of the party's five MPs opposed.
Zack Polanski accused Burnham of "irresponsible blurring" of antisemitism and criticism of Israel, according to HuffPost UK. He had earlier said ruling out a deal with Labour would be "silly".
Also in the last 24 hours
- Zelensky in London: Healey announced £17m to repair the shelter over reactor 4 at Chernobyl, damaged by a Russian drone, and Burnham said the UK would accelerate air defence missile deliveries, PA reported. Zelensky said Ukraine had received "no early warning" of a missile attack on Kyiv and described "difficulties" with Starlink and US intelligence, according to CNN and Reuters.
- Widdecombe: Shadow Commons leader Jesse Norman raised a point of order after Burnham referred at PMQs to the "individual responsible for the murder", saying "The Prime Minister needs to apologise". No 10 declined to comment, PA reported.
- ECHR: MPs rejected a Conservative motion to leave the European Convention on Human Rights by 309 votes to 113, a majority of 196.
- Budget: Healey plans to make Amazon, eBay and Temu responsible for collecting VAT from larger sellers, raising up to £1bn, the Times reported via City AM, with the money funding business rates cuts for high streets.
- Palantir: Palantir and Sadiq Khan's policing office withdrew their allegations against each other over the blocked £50m Met contract, with no damages paid and a new procurement under way, according to the London.gov.uk statement and Reuters.
- Lib Dems: Davey's allies called Tuesday evening's meeting of MPs a "show of strength", Politics.co.uk reported, while PoliticsHome said some MPs think a challenge has been delayed rather than defeated.
- Stillborn babies: Health Secretary Yvette Cooper apologised for the "unthinkable pain" caused by historic mass burials, including more than 1,000 babies buried in unmarked graves in Wirral, ITV reported.
- Royal Mail: The CWU called for an emergency summit, saying about 400 postal workers a week are leaving since delivery routes were reorganised, the BBC reported.
- Sally Rooney: Publisher Faber said it could no longer pass UK royalties to the author because she plans to donate book revenue to the banned group Palestine Action, Sky News reported. Faber will stop supplying her books in the UK.
- Brain cancer: Swimmer Archie Goodburn, who has inoperable brain tumours, thanked Burnham after a brain cancer review was announced, the BBC reported.
The government's amended Troubles Bill returns to the Commons on Monday 19 October, and Healey delivers his first Budget later this month.
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