Reform says it has reported ITV to the police over undercover investigation

Reform UK said it has reported ITV to the police following the broadcaster’s expose which revealed racist remarks by members of the party.

Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, announced the party would also launch a legal challenge against the multiple ITV journalists and the broadcaster’s board of directors it reported to the police.

The undercover investigation by ITV included councillors and candidates within Reform using racist language.

In one excerpt, black children were referred to as “animals”, while in another a Reform member said his area had become “infested” with Asian families.

In a video posted on social media site X, Mr Yusuf said the party was now reporting individual journalists to the police, as it believes they have breached fraud and elections law in the course of making the documentary.

He said: “We have reported multiple ITV journalists and their board of directors to the police, and will be taking legal action against all of them.

“Journalists are supposed to report the news. These ones set out to create it.”

Mr Yusuf claimed that the undercover ITV reporter who became employed as a Reform press officer had “doctored” her passport to gain the job.

He also said two undercover reporters who joined Reform members campaigning in Portsmouth had been reported to the police, as it is illegal to pay someone to canvass for a candidate.

Reform has also reported ITV’s board to the police as the organisation which paid the two reporters, he said, adding that the party would bring “civil proceedings” against them, too.

He said: “We will pursue this through the courts relentlessly. I want to be frank about why we feel so strongly: Many Reform staff members and volunteers were psychologically manipulated and damaged by ITV’s undercover reporters.”

Mr Yusuf later claimed ITV had engaged in “a form of psychological warfare”.

He added: “It was designed to demoralise, to inject paranoia into our volunteers, our activists, and our employees, and to make ordinary people afraid to take part in politics.”

It was unclear which police force, or forces, Reform has made the report to. The party was contacted for comment.

An ITV spokesperson said: “ITV stands by its journalism.

“The programme Undercover: A Year In Reform was produced in compliance with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, relevant laws, and its broadcast is in the public interest.

“All journalists were instructed to operate within this framework and did so under the supervision of the programme’s producers. Should the police get in touch we would fully cooperate.”

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Andy Burnham said Reform UK had still not taken enough action to tackle racism in the party in the wake of the documentary.

Former health minister, Labour MP Zubir Ahmed, asked Mr Burnham at Prime Minister’s Questions about the ITV documentary.

Mr Burnham said: “I think it is incumbent on all parties represented in this House to root out the politics of poison, which has seeped far too far into our politics, where unacceptable racist and discriminatory comments are made. The firmest of action should be taken on the back of those revelations.

“That should unite us all in this House, and we are still waiting to see the right level of action from the party opposite.”