Zia Yusuf calls ‘Nazi salute’ photo and comments by some candidates abhorrent

Zia Yusuf said the party has taken action after “abhorrent” incidents involving a Reform candidate being photographed appearing to strike a Nazi salute and another branding the former first minister Humza Yousaf an “Islamist moron”.

It comes after Reform UK’s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord stood by his Holyrood candidates, after past social media posts emerged.

Linda Holt, the candidate for Fife North East, described former first minister Humza Yousaf as a “grandstanding Islamist moron” and said he was “not British” although he was born in Scotland.

Meanwhile, Corey Edwards, who was a Reform UK candidate for the upcoming Senedd election in Wales, stood down, citing his mental health, after photos of him appearing to strike a Nazi salute emerged online.

Put to him that Nigel Farage said last year that Reform’s vetting process would improve, Mr Yusuf said: “Obviously, all of that’s abhorrent and the party’s taken action on that.

“Reform has vetted over 8,000 candidates over the last couple of years.

“Even if our success rate is 99.9% a handful will slip through.

“But I want to make a very important point actually on vetting and how these things are covered, because yes, of course, it’s reasonable to hold Reform to account, but what consistently happens is the BBC pounces on every single Reform mishap, and gives it vastly disproportionate coverage in your news cycles, and completely ignores the far more voluminous misdemeanours and frankly, egregious things that people from other parties say.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC aims to cover all political parties impartially across its output.”