A candidate affiliated with a political reform group, who had an encounter with King Charles, is under scrutiny for making a series of highly offensive anti-Muslim remarks. Daniel Devaney, who is contesting in the local elections on behalf of Nigel Farage’s party, expressed extreme views against followers of Islam, including advocating for their eradication. The aspiring Bradford councilor, a supporter of Enoch Powell, also derogatorily referred to Muslims as “scum.” Devaney, a 70-year-old retired individual who previously worked with the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI), was photographed alongside Prince Charles on HMS Invincible. Confronted by the Mirror regarding his controversial Facebook posts, Devaney acknowledged that his comments were inappropriate.
Incidents involving candidates have posed challenges for Farage’s party, prompting the leader to defend the vetting process of the Reform party. However, findings by the anti-racism advocacy group Hope Not Hate (HnH) suggest inadequate scrutiny of Devaney by party officials. HnH’s senior researcher, Harry Shukman, highlighted concerns over the party’s tolerance of anti-Muslim sentiments among its candidates.
In a Facebook post, Devaney criticized Keir Starmer and made inflammatory remarks about Muslims in relation to the conflict in Gaza. His post from September 2024 included derogatory language and violent suggestions towards Muslims. On another occasion, Devaney called for “civil unrest” in a post targeting the Labour party, expressing discriminatory views towards immigrants and Muslims. His history of offensive posts also included Islamophobic content and derogatory comments about Muslims.
Devaney’s admiration for the divisive politician Enoch Powell was evident in a post where he praised Powell’s controversial views on immigration. The candidate, running for district councilor under Reform in Bradford, expressed regret for some of his inflammatory remarks and claimed that his intentions were to provoke rather than genuinely hold discriminatory beliefs.
In response to the allegations, Devaney apologized for his posts, stating that he did not fully endorse the content he shared online. He emphasized his desire to contribute positively to his community and denied being racist. Reform UK acknowledged the accusations and stated that they were investigating the matter.
Recent revelations have shown other instances of controversy within Reform party candidates, including spreading Covid conspiracy theories and making inflammatory remarks about prominent figures. These incidents have raised concerns about the party’s candidate selection and their stance on divisive issues.