London Reform candidate defects claiming party is 'racist, misogynistic, and bigoted'

A London Reform UK candidate on Tuesday defected to the Tories claiming that the “vast majority” of her former party’s candidates were “racist, misogynistic, and bigoted”.

Georgie David, standing in West Ham and Beckton, said she was suspending her general election campaign in the east London seat.

“I am in no doubt that the party and its senior leadership are not racist,” she said.

“However, as the vast majority of candidates are indeed racist, misogynistic, and bigoted, I do not wish to be directly associated with people who hold such views that are so vastly opposing to my own and what I stand for.

“I also have been significantly frustrated and dismayed by the failure of the Reform Party’s leadership to tackle this issue in any meaningful way, and their attempts to instead try to brush it under the carpet or cry foul play.

“As such, I have now suspended my campaign with Reform, and I an endorsing the Conservative Party – I would encourage all of my fellow patriots to do the same.”

Ms David is the second Reform candidate to suspend her election campaign in recent days.

Liam Booth-Isherwood, who is standing in Erewash, said there was a “significant moral issue” in parts of the Reform party following what he described as “reports of widespread racism and sexism”.

He added that party’s leadership has failed to address the issue and he did not want to be associated with the party.

Reform UK’s chairman Richard Tice claimed candidates were being offered jobs and inducements “to persuade them to talk badly of Reform, stand down and then endorse the Tory candidate".

He added that there were “dark forces at play by desperate Tories”.

Last week the party, led by Nigel Farage, distanced itself from two activists who were filmed by Channel 4 apparently making racist and homophobic comments.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "For the second time this week, we have seen a Reform candidate declare that a vote for Reform is a vote for Labour.

"Just 130,000 voters currently considering voting for Reform or the Liberal Democrats could change the course of this election, and Ms David knows this.”

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