One of Reform UK’s newly elected councillors shared a meme praising Adolf Hitler.
An investigation by anti-racism charity HOPE Not Hate revealed that seven Reform UK candidates standing in Doncaster had previously posted antisemitic conspiracy theories, neo-Nazi material, and extreme anti-Muslim content. Six of them were successfully elected.
Mark Broadhurst, now councillor for Hatfield, reposted an image of Hitler with the caption: “For f**** sake, if I had chosen Muslims, I would have been a f***ing legend.”
Mark Broadhurst shared this Hitler meme on Facebook in March 2024.
Photo Credit: HOPE not hate.
Steve Plater, elected in Adwick-le-Street and Carcroft, shared articles from Patriotic Alternative, a group Hope Not Hate calls a “neo-Nazi organisation”, including claims of “a multicultural and anti-White tyranny”. He also wrote that Muslims “can’t wash off the smell of donkeys” and “cook over burning camel sh*t”.
Steve Plater shared multiple articles from Patriotic Alternative, described by HOPE not hate as a neo-Nazi group. Photo Credit: HOPE not Hate
In Wheatley Hills & Intake, councillor Guy Aston liked a post referencing the “Kalergi Plan”, a white supremacist conspiracy theory that claims Jewish banking families such as the Rothschilds, Warburgs and Baruchs are behind a plot to replace Europe’s white population.
Facebook post promoting the antisemitic “Kalergi Plan” conspiracy theory, blaming Jewish banking families. Photo Credit: HOPE not hate.
Howard Rimmer, now representing Roman Ridge, promoted content from the far-right Traditional Britain Group and reposted claims that “low IQ people” from “sh*t countries” are being imported into Britain. He also praised Tommy Robinson and Anne Marie Waters and called for a boycott of “unChristian” shops.
Howard Rimmer praised far-right figures Tommy Robinson and Anne Marie Waters in this 2021 Facebook post. Photo Credit: HOPE not hate.
In a statement to Jewish News, Georgie Laming, director of campaigns at Hope Not Hate, said: “Nigel Farage has claimed that Reform UK has the ‘most in-depth vetting procedure’ of any party. Our investigation shows that their processes leave much to be desired.
“HOPE not hate uncovered Reform candidates – some now elected – who posted anti-Muslim hate, pushed far-right conspiracies including calling climate change a ‘global hysterical climate hoax’, praised extremists like Tommy Robinson and shared content from David Irving, the UK’s best-known Holocaust denier.
“It’s obvious these hateful candidates are not one-offs, and that Reform UK are not taking their vetting as seriously as they claim. The party cannot be considered competent to represent the people of Britain when they can’t even vet their candidates properly.”
In September 2024, Nigel Farage pledged to clean up candidate selection, telling the BBC: “I had no idea that half of these people simply haven’t been vetted – that’s got to change.” At Reform’s party conference that month, he blamed the issue on “amateurism” and insisted: “We weren’t professional enough to vet properly.
Jewish News has approached Reform UK and Doncaster Council for comment.
