A Mirror investigation has uncovered that three Reform UK local election candidates were listed on a leaked British National Party (BNP) membership database, prompting their expulsion from the party.
Farage's 'golden rule' broken
Nigel Farage has frequently criticised the BNP's "racist agenda" and claimed a "golden rule" prevents former BNP activists from joining his party. However, this latest revelation deals a significant blow to Reform's vetting processes. The three candidates—George Parnell, John Black, and David Prior—were all found on a database of BNP members and contacts from the time when Nick Griffin led the party.
Reform UK confirmed to the Mirror that the individuals had been expelled for "failing to declare their previous memberships of an organisation proscribed by the party." Among them is a technology sector worker who claimed to "lead international teams" and a roofing firm boss who was once pictured dressed as a sheikh holding monopoly money.
Candidate responses
George Parnell, 57, standing for Fleet Town in Hampshire, initially admitted he "might have become a member" of the BNP but later changed his story, claiming he never supported the party. John Black, 55, a candidate in Blackburn, denied ever being a BNP member, saying he had "no idea" why his name appeared on the list. David Prior, 55, standing in Gateshead, admitted he "made a mistake" years ago and distanced himself from the party after learning its true nature.
Embarrassing episode for Reform
This scandal follows a series of controversies for Reform UK. Last year, it emerged the party had introduced less stringent vetting for candidates. Farage recently defended the process, claiming "sometimes people lie." The Mirror's joint investigation with anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate cross-referenced names from a 2008 leak of BNP membership data.
Joe Mulhall, director of research at Hope Not Hate, said: "The party has always been quick to push back against being labelled 'far right' yet recent weeks have once again shown the party is still riddled with extremists. Their decision to quickly expel these three candidates is welcome but it makes their refusal to do the same to other candidates recently exposed for racism and extremism all the more telling."
Farage has previously argued that his party destroyed the BNP as an electoral force. In 2024, he said: "Ironically, destroying the BNP means people who are minded that way don't any longer have a home to go to, and so some will gravitate in our direction." He added that "anybody who has a racist point of view, I don't want to know."
