David Lammy has demanded Nigel Farage cleans up his party after being targeted by racist jibes by Reform candidates and councillors.
The deputy prime minister has hit out after he was told he should “go home” where his “loyalties lie” to the Caribbean by Reform’s mayoral candidate for Hampshire Chris Parry.
Mr Parry, a former Royal Navy Rear Admiral, also described four female colleagues as “harpies” and suggested Parliament would be filled with Muslim MPs by 2035.
Mr Lammy, who was born in and grew up in North London, recently wrote for The Independent about the appalling racism he had to endure as a child and teenager.
He said: “I experienced [racism] as a young boy growing up in London, where the ugly face of division could be seen on a daily basis. I was terrified when skinheads patrolled our neighbourhoods, spreading their hate on street corners and football terraces. On one occasion, I was just going about my business with my mum and my sister when we were spat on – just for being who we are.”
The vile attack by Mr Parry was not isolated though in the last week with Ian Cooper, Reform’s council leader in Staffordshire, stating in reference to Mr Lammy “no foreign national or first generation migrant should be allowed to sit in Parliament”.
The justice secretary defiantly said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “I will never be cowed by racism.”
While Mr Cooper has been thrown out of Reform, Mr Parry still remains the party’s candidate in Hampshire.
Another Reform councillor Chris Large has denied endorsing a comment describing Mr Lammy as “just another greedy none thoroughbred.”
The row has broken out at a time when Mr Farage has struggled to deal with claims he made racist and antisemtic remarks at school 50 years ago.
Among the allegations were claims he said “Hitler was right” and mimicked gas chamber hissing noises.
Mr Farage ended up having a rant at the BBC about 1970s comedian Bernard Manning at a press conference recently when asked about the allegations.
But the deputy prime minister has demanded that Farage cleans up his party
Mr Lammy posted: “As Deputy Prime Minister, I’m focused on delivering for the British people and I tend to ignore the noise.
“But in the past week I’ve been sent stories about: A Reform mayoral candidate telling me to ‘go home’ to the Caribbean where he said my ‘loyalties lie’.
“A Reform councillor’s TikTok account endorsing a comment calling me a ‘greedy none (sic) thoroughbred.’
“A Reform council leader referring to me saying ‘no foreign national or first-generation migrant should be allowed to sit in Parliament’ – apparently unaware I’m a British citizen born in North London.”
He went on: “I will never be cowed by racism. But I will call it what it is.
“Nigel Farage , you need to clean up your party and stamp out this 1950s-style hate.”
The Independent has contacted Reform for comment.