Reform UK drops candidate revealed to have been BNP member

A Reform UK general election candidate has been dropped after it emerged that he had been on a list of members of the British National party (BNP).

The development came as the rightwing populist party also said a number of activists would no longer be working on Nigel Farage’s campaign in Clacton ahead of a report alleging that offensive and racist remarks had been made.

Reform moved earlier against Raymond Saint, a retired owner of a plumbing company, who had been standing in Basingstoke. A Raymond Saint, at the same address, was recorded as a member of the BNP in a list that was published by WikiLeaks in 2009.

The party withdraw support for him after the connection was brought to its attention by the Guardian, and accused Saint of failing to declare his BNP membership. A party spokesperson said: “As Nigel Farage has repeatedly made plain, people who belong or used to belong to the BNP are not welcome in the Reform UK party.

“Every candidate was asked to declare their past or present political affiliations and was specifically asked whether they had ever been a member of the BNP. Mr Saint failed to do so and clearly lied to us.”

When the Guardian asked Saint if he had been a member of the BNP, he replied: “I don’t wish to discuss it, thank you.”

His Conservative opponent in Basingstoke, the former minister Maria Miller, said: “Basingstoke residents will be shocked and troubled that the Reform party candidate, Raymond Saint, has been a member of the BNP.

“It raises worries about the kind of politics that are acceptable to Reform. Fringe extremism and racism have no place in Basingstoke. Nigel Farage should hang his head in shame that he … put such candidates before Basingstoke’s electorate.”

Reform UK has faced constant pressure over racist and offensive comments by its candidates. Earlier this month, the Reform UK candidate Grant StClair-Armstrong resigned after it was discovered he had previously encouraged people to vote for the BNP.

A spokesperson for Reform said that StClair-Armstrong, who was challenging the business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, in North West Essex, had tendered his resignation because of the revelation of “unacceptable historic social media comments”.

Reform UK has complained that it was let down by a company it paid to carry out vetting of its candidates. Farage has said lawyers are being instructed. The company has reportedly said it had been working on the assumption the general election would be this autumn, giving it the summer to complete its work.

Reform issued statements in advance of the broadcast of a Channel 4 News exposé on Thursday evening about the campaign to elect Farage in Clacton, Essex. The party said it had been made aware of what it described as “unacceptable comments” by some party activists working on the campaign.

Farage said: “I am dismayed by the reported comments of a handful of people associated with my local campaign, particularly those who are volunteers. They will no longer be with the campaign.

“The appalling sentiments expressed by some in these exchanges bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK policy. Some of the language used was reprehensible.”

The Reform UK leader’s election agent, Peter Harris, also said in a statement that he rejected suggestions that the campaign had overspent, adding that it was well within its legal limits.

The name Raymond Saint appeared on a detailed membership list of the BNP containing names, addresses and telephone numbers published by WikiLeaks in October 2009.

The data included details of the BNP’s members and supporters on 15 April 2009, as well as data about members whose subscriptions to the party had lapsed.

On Reform UK’s website, Raymond Saint is quoted as saying: “I would regard myself as Conservative and always voted accordingly but unfortunately during the last few years I find myself politically homeless as the party has completely lost its way and in my opinion can no longer be regarded as conservative.”

He added that his first priority would be to “fix our borders”.

Reform threatens to eat into the 14,198 majority that the Conservatives are defending in Basingstoke. In 2015 Ukip came third with 8,290 votes.