*Warning: Offensive language In June, an undercover reporter met Alex Lomas, who was helping Reform canvass in Makerfield during the parliamentary by-election that Andy Burnham would go on to win. Mr Lomas told the reporter he failed Reform’s vetting process twice, but was asked to be a candidate two days later in Oldham. The comments were made as part of an undercover investigation inside Reform UK’s political operation that has found senior party officials saying they have to “defend the indefensible”, with Nigel Farage told he was “protecting” one Reform candidate from being sacked for allegedly racist views. ITV Exposure gained unprecedented access to Reform’s Westminster headquarters, sending in an undercover reporter inside the party in January 2026, where she worked as a press officer. She secretly recorded conversations between Reform officials as they dealt with multiple accusations of racism by Reform councillors and candidates. Mr Lomas did not respond to our request for comment. Reform UK told us: “Not all individuals covertly recorded by ITV are members of Reform UK. Where members, activists and councillors have clearly behaved inappropriately, investigations have commenced. In some cases, there have been suspensions and due process must be followed. “Reform UK has improved and prioritised its vetting procedures, but from time to time, a handful of individuals who do not share our values will initially make it through vetting. This is the same for all organisations. “There is no room for racism in Reform UK. We always respect due process of investigations and whilst these are ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.” Watch ‘Undercover: A Year in Reform’ on ITV1 & ITVX from 10:20pm on Sunday #reform #nigelfarage #politics — @itvnews TikTok