Nigel Farage has told Reform UK councillors “how we behave matters” and says he “can’t apologise” for the 2024 election vetting process because he was not involved in it.
On Monday morning, Mr Farage arrived to overcast drizzle at Kent County Council (KCC) in Maidstone, to be greeted by expectant councillors from the Reform-led authority.
The visit comes after news that Reform MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock James McMurdock has resigned the party whip amid allegations that he took out government loans during the Covid pandemic for businesses with no employees.
Mr Farage was keen to distance himself from the absence of Reform candidate vetting processes for the 2024 general election, and said he “can’t apologise” for it.
He said: “I came in, I inherited this situation where hundreds of candidates who stood in the last general election had not gone through a vetting process.
“I said on July 5, the day after the election last year, that we would now professionalise.
“We put 1,630 candidates into the field on May 1, more than any other party with very, very few rows or arguments – so the vetting process worked for this year, I can’t apologise for what happened before.”
The Reform leader did not answer when asked whether the allegations faced by Mr McMurdock were an embarrassment for his party.
“Let’s find out the truth, I know as much about this right now as you do,” said Mr Farage.
He added that he would be heading to Westminster later on Monday to find out more about the situation.
Addressing KCC Reform councillors on the steps inside County Hall, he outlined his expectations for them.
Mr Farage said: “Behaving with integrity is a responsibility upon all of you, although that doesn’t mean you all have to become stuffed shirts or anything like that.
“You are holders of public office you are responsible and how we behave matters.”
Later, he told the PA news agency: “Yes I think, I think that when you become elected at any level you have a responsibility,
“I’m not asking for stuffed shirts, I’m not asking for boring people. I’m just saying think, think to all of these people here who were basically in ‘civvy street’ in political terms before May 1, just think before you act.”
