Channel 4 hit back at Reform over ‘actor’ activist claims

When you’re in a hole, stop digging. It seems that those words of wisdom aren’t being heeded by Reform as the party battles to handle the fall-out from last night’s Channel 4 exposé. The broadcaster released an undercover report into the party’s campaign in Clacton, featuring examples of anti-migrant rhetoric, homophobia and one canvasser called Andrew Parker ‘making racist and offensive remarks’.

Parker was swiftly booted out of the party but attention has now focussed on his professional background as a part-time actor. Both Reform’s leader Nigel Farage and party chairman Richard Tice have been quick to jump on suggestions that this might explain his comments in the programme. Farage wrote on Twitter/X this morning that: ‘His own website says he is “well spoken” but from the moment he arrived in Clacton he was doing what he calls “rough speaking”. This whole episode does not add up.’

However when GB News got in touch with Andrew Parker he dismissed such theories and said that while he was goaded by the undercover reporter, he rejected any suggestion that he was a ‘paid actor’ set-up to make Reform look bad. And now a spokesman for Channel 4 News has hit back at Farage et al by telling Mr S that:

We strongly stand by our rigorous and duly impartial journalism which speaks for itself. We met Mr Parker for the first time at Reform UK party headquarters, where he was a Reform party canvasser. We did not pay the Reform UK canvasser or anyone else in this report.  Mr Parker was not known to Channel 4 News and was filmed covertly via the undercover operation.

Tice though is not taking it lying down, posting on Twitter/X his reply. ‘Desperate stuff from Ch 4’, he wrote. ‘They are not going to admit they broke the law. But they do need to explain why a volunteer would use their acting voice not their normal voice when making horrific statements.’ Tice subsequently suggested that the comments might not even be real, tweeting:

This man Parker makes stuff up. He is an actor. Thats what actors do. I have no doubt the horrific comments were made up to suit the objective of Ch 4.

Sounds like this one is going to run and run…