Reform UK candidate posted racial slur online
BBCReform UK has been urged to withdraw support for one of its local election candidates in Derbyshire after he was linked to a social media post that featured a racial slur.
An Instagram account with the name and picture of the party's Bakewell candidate Max Bethell posted the offensive meme in 2019.
All posts from the account have since been deleted and Reform UK said it would not be commenting.
Mr Bethell has been approached by the BBC for comment.
Dermot Murphy, chairman of the Derbyshire Dales Conservative Association, said the post was "frankly abhorrent, offensive and racist".
"Reform locally and nationally must do the right thing and publicly withdraw their support for this candidate immediately," he said.
Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage said in September candidates for the 2025 local elections would be "vetted" following a number of controversies during the general election.
The five candidates standing in the Bakewell division of Derbyshire County Council in the election on 1 May are:
- Max Bethell - Reform UK
- Claire Cadogan - Liberal Democrats
- Neil Buttle - Green Party
- Diane Fletcher - Labour & Co-operative
- Alasdair Sutton - Conservative Party
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