Reform UK candidates will not be banned for backing Tommy Robinson online, says Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has said candidates for his party will not be prevented from standing if they like social media posts by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. He spoke on Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday.

Farage has long tried to distance the right-wing parties he has led from the controversial Robinson and his activists. But he has now said that simply expressing support for Robinson should not be a bar to representing Reform UK.

Speaking to the Today programme, Farage said he 'wouldn't ban anybody for liking someone like Tommy Robinson. Wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I wouldn't ban anybody from doing so.'

He added that he does not want to get into a world of cancel culture, although if somebody supported something that was outright wrong, he would act. Pushed on whether any support for Robinson's posts would merit a sanction, he said it depends largely on what the post is, that he is not going to run a party where people are told they cannot talk about a person, and that vetting has to be sensible — and, he said, it is.

Reform UK has faced criticism for its vetting of candidates since Farage's return as leader in 2024. An undercover documentary by ITV found the vetting process encouraged candidates to delete social media accounts that included support for Robinson before applying.

But Farage claimed on the BBC, 'We vet our council candidates to a much higher level than any other political party,' and said other parties were not held to account for candidates who had made questionable comments.

Robinson, who has multiple criminal convictions, is currently on trial for two counts of harassment causing fear of violence towards two journalists. He denies the charges.