The Ferret exposed the extreme views of Reform UK’s Scotland’s candidates before Nigel Farage promised to improve his party’s “poor” vetting processes, but many of them have been re-selected to fight the Holyrood election.
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The Ferret exposed the extreme views of Reform UK’s Scotland’s candidates before Nigel Farage promised to improve his party’s “poor” vetting processes, but many of them have been re-selected to fight the Holyrood election.
Reform UK Scotland’s prospective MSPs backed conspiracy theories, including the belief that Covid-19 was a “hoax”, made fun of an activist with aspergers, and supported a range of extreme far right figures.
Those returning as candidates for the upcoming Holyrood election include David Kirkwood and Kenneth Morton, who are standing in Dumfriesshire and Perthshire North respectively.
In 2024, we revealed that both men ‘liked’ posts and shared images of their party’s policies with far right activist Peter Imanuelsen. Known as Peter Sweden, he has previously denied the Holocaust and stated that “Hitler had some good points”.
Morton also liked posts from conspiracy theorist David Icke, who believes the royal family are shape-shifting lizards. The specific posts he liked dismissed Covid-19 “a psychological hoax” treated with a “fake vaccine”, and denied man-made climate change.
Other posts ‘liked’ by Morton included former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev – deputy chairman of Russia’s security council – and Alex Jones, who falsely claimed 22 million people had died from Covid-19 vaccines, and that the Sandy Hook US school shooting, in which 20 children were killed, was a hoax.
Otto Inglis, who is standing for Reform UK, reportedly called Greta Thunberg “aspergers girl”, as we highlighted in 2024.
At the time, the Scottish Liberal Democrats accused Reform of being “linked to intolerance, racism and bonkers conspiracy theorists”.
Reform UK sacked two Scottish general election candidates after a 2024 Ferret investigation found they shared posts from prominent far right figures and made hateful comments on social media.
These would-be politicians included a self-described “proud tax avoider” who said trans people’s “days are numbered”, and another who shared a post which said then-first minister Humza Yousaf should not be able to hold a rugby trophy because he is “more Pakistani than Scottish.”
Nigel Farage has branded his party an “antidote to the far right” and promised to bolster his party’s candidate vetting.
Last month a Reform UK councillor claimed the party’s candidate selection process was “brutal” and that it "turned down genuinely good people" because of social media posts they made in the past.
In January, Farage told a press conference the party's vetting in the past had been "poor, but it won't be in future". He had previously blamed a vetting company his party had hired for failures to spot offensive content posted by prospective candidates.
One of his fresh candidates is Senga Beresford, who is standing for election to the Scottish Parliament in Galloway and West Dumfries.
She has expressed admiration for far right activist Tommy Robinson, Enoch Powell, and Britain First, a white nationalist group that wants to deport Muslims from the UK.
Beresford deleted posts she made on X prior to 2025 – but did not remove her replies to other users.
In July 2024 she replied “yes” to a post asking: “Do you agree with what Tommy Robinson says!” A month later she replied to a post by Robinson himself, who was organising a rally in London, and said “Behind you all the way!".
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, founded the hardline English Defence League, and has multiple criminal convictions, including assault, fraud and involvement in a football brawl. Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage has previously branded Robinson a “thug” who is not welcome in his party.
On Facebook, Beresford follows a group of supporters of Katie Hopkins – a far right activist who called migrants crossing the Mediterranean “cockroaches”, and said gunships should be used to stop them.
In July 2024 Beresford said she agreed that the late Enoch Powell was right. The politician was known for his controversial 1968 “rivers of blood” speech that called for the repatriation of immigrants and was blamed for inflaming racial tensions.
Beresford also responded to posts by Britain First, a controversial far right organisation opposing Islam and multiculturalism.
The group, which is active in Scotland, became notorious for so-called “Christian patrols” and “mosque invasions” after its activists descended on areas with large Muslim populations and stormed into Islamic places of worship.
Britain First has been accused of stirring racial hatred at anti-migrant protests in Scotland, as reported by The Ferret. Its chair, Ashlea Simon, reportedly said in 2020 that “English people can’t be black, English blood is white”.
In August 2024, Beresford backed Simon after she said: “In the UK Muslims are demanding that sharia law is implemented. I demand that we deport the lot of them. Who’s with me?” A month later Beresford posted “yes” on X when Britain First asked “should the UK ban the burqa” – a garment worn by some Muslim women.
Reform UK’s leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, has refused to sack Beresford, however. The businessman reportedly said his candidate’s views were “fruity” but claimed her comments – from fewer than two years ago – were made in a “former life”.
Beresford comments branded ‘fascist’
Commenting on Beresford’s social media activity, Jack McConnel, Scottish Labour's candidate for Galloway and West Dumfries said: “History teaches us what happens when we call for people to be rounded up for exile because of their faith.
“It has become politically incorrect to name that opinion for what it is: fascist. You don't need to be someone with a Christian faith like myself for that to put shivers down your spine. There is an ocean of difference between this and discussion about immigration."
He added: “And this is just the first glimpse at his clutch of candidates. We still don't know what more lurks out there.”
South of Scotland SNP MSP Emma Harper described Reform UK as “Reform 2025 Limited”, referencing the fact that the party is unusually set up as a limited company. She said Beresford’s comments were “shocking, but unfortunately not surprising”.
“Time and time again we have seen those chosen by Reform 2025 Limited to lead their campaigns being uncovered as well-versed in using bigoted, prejudiced and racist language, while their Scottish ‘leader; and former merchant banker likes to pretend he supports our communities – the reality is he and his acolytes purposely seek to cause so much division."
Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman said: “Nigel Farage has claimed that Reform’s vetting has improved but, unsurprisingly, time and again, we see candidates linked to toxic and extremist views. It raises serious questions about the kind of party Reform UK is, and the kind of politics it is willing to tolerate and encourage.”
Reform UK did not respond to requests to comment.
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