A second Reform UK candidate has defected to the Conservatives just days before the general election.
Georgie David, who was standing for Nigel Farage’s party in West Ham and Beckton, said on Tuesday that she believes the “vast majority” of those standing for the party are “racist, misogynistic and bigoted”.
It comes after Channel 4 released undercover footage of Reform UK activist Andrew Parker making a racial slur about prime minister Rishi Sunak and suggesting migrants arriving to the UK by small boats should be shot.
Party leader Nigel Farage downplayed the controversy by claiming Parker was a “paid actor” meant to smear his campaign – an allegation denied by both the broadcaster and Parker himself.
The same footage also showed a senior Farage aide being homophobic, claiming a police car displaying the Pride flag should be “out catching nonces not promoting the fuckers”.
David alluded to this chaos in her statement today, released via the Conservatives.
She said: “I am hereby announcing my decision to leave the Reform Party and stand down as their candidate for West Ham and Beckton, with immediate effect.
“I am in no doubt that the party and its senior leadership are not racist.
“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.”
She said she was “significantly frustrated and dismayed” by the party’s leadership to “tackle this issue in any meaningful way”, saying: “Their attempts to instead try to brush it under the carpet or cry foul play.”
She said she was now “endorsing the Conservative Party” and would “encourage all of my fellow patriots to do the same”.
It’s a major blow to Farage as he sought to position Reform as the main opposition to Labour and turn voters away from the Conservatives.
In response to the defection, Reform Party chair Richard Tice wrote on X: “More desperate corruption by Tories.
“What jobs & safe seats have toxic Tories offered this candidate?
“As they have with many others.
“Note same press release language… coordinated by dirty tricks central, CCHQ Voters delighted to oust these Tories.”
HuffPost UK has approached Reform UK for further comment.
David’s defection comes two days after Liam Booth-Isherwood, Reform’s candidate in Erewash, moved to endorse the Tories.
He also accused the leadership of not taking racism within Reform UK seriously.
Speaking to Sky on Sunday, Farage claimed the “bad apples” are gone from the party, having dropped several candidates over racist remarks they made.
He claimed he has not been “fanning the flames” of prejudice with his campaign, and suggested his party attracted racists and extremists because he “destroyed” far-right party BNP.
He claimed that means like-minded people will “gravitate in our direction”.