A Green Party councillor has demanded that Reform UK implement stringent vetting procedures for its own staff and elected representatives, challenging the party's focus on the backgrounds of asylum seekers.
Council Meeting Clash Over Asylum Questions
The call was made by Councillor Alex Mace, co-leader of the Green Party group on Worcester City Council, during a meeting on Tuesday. His remarks came in direct response to questions posed by Reform UK councillor Alan Amos.
Councillor Amos had asked the council leader, Lynn Denham, to confirm whether "illegal immigrants/asylum seekers" had been vetted for terrorism offences, criminal activity, "unacceptable attitudes towards girls and women," homophobic attitudes, and diseases such as scabies and TB.
Councillor Denham dismissed the line of questioning, stating it was "not related to a Worcester City Council responsibility."
Green Councillor's Retort Points to Reform's Record
It was at this point that Councillor Mace interjected, expressing his frustration at what he described as the "constant blaming of asylum seekers" for the country's problems. He then turned the scrutiny back onto Reform UK itself.
Councillor Mace cited several specific examples involving Reform UK figures:
- Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform in Wales, was recently sentenced to over 10 years in prison for taking Russian bribes.
- George Cottrell, described as Nigel Farage's right-hand man, served eight months in a US prison for fraud.
- James McMurdock MP, elected for Reform UK last year, has a conviction for assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
- Viscount Monckton, a speaker at the party's summer conference, has previously claimed that gay men live "short, miserable lives."
A Call for Internal Scrutiny and a Broader Message
Following this list, Councillor Mace stated: "I rather think we should be asking the Reform Party if their staff and elected representatives are being properly screened for criminal behaviour and convictions, unacceptable attitudes towards girls and women, and homophobic and other unacceptable attitudes towards the wider gay community."
He expanded on his anger, stating: "It wasn't asylum seekers who sold off our council homes and didn't replace them. It wasn't asylum seekers who were pumping sewage into our rivers. It wasn't asylum seekers who broke the NHS."
Councillor Mace concluded by asserting that immigration is necessary for the UK and that the "hate and division" being spread about it are making the country's problems worse.
In response to the conviction of Nathan Gill, a spokesperson for Reform UK described his actions as "reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable."
