A candidate affiliated with the Reform party, known for meeting King Charles, has been revealed for making a series of highly offensive anti-Muslim remarks. Daniel Devaney, a contender in the local elections under Nigel Farage’s party, expressed extreme views about eliminating Islam followers and referred to Muslims as “scum”. The 70-year-old retired Devaney, a former employee of the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI), was captured in a photograph alongside Prince Charles on HMS Invincible. When approached by the Mirror regarding his Facebook posts, Devaney acknowledged his comments were inappropriate.
Reform party has faced challenges with its candidates, prompting the leader to defend the party’s vetting process recently. However, evidence uncovered by anti-racism organization Hope Not Hate (HnH) indicates that party officials neglected to thoroughly screen Devaney. Harry Shukman, a senior researcher at HnH, stated that Reform has a recurring issue with Islamophobia and condemned Devaney as the latest candidate to exhibit such abhorrent behavior.
In one of his Facebook posts, Devaney criticized Keir Starmer and made derogatory remarks about Muslims during the conflict in Gaza. He advocated for violent actions against them, labeling them as “scum”. Another post from last year saw him calling for civil unrest and targeting the Labour party and immigrants with private healthcare. Devaney’s history includes sharing an Islamophobic joke and criticizing Muslims for setting off fireworks.
Furthermore, Devaney openly admired the controversial politician Enoch Powell in a Facebook post, supporting Powell’s divisive statements on immigration. Devaney is running for a district council seat in Bradford under the Reform party. In an interview with the Mirror, he expressed regret for his inflammatory comments and clarified that they were made in the heat of the moment without proper consideration.
Devaney later messaged the Mirror to retract some of his statements, attributing them to mere venting rather than genuine beliefs. He apologized for the offensive nature of his posts and emphasized his desire to contribute positively to his community. Reform UK stated that they were investigating the allegations against Devaney.
This incident follows recent reports revealing another Reform candidate in Wales spreading a Covid conspiracy theory and making disparaging remarks about the late Queen. Additionally, a former Reform elections campaigner, who was visited by Farage, was exposed for praising Adolf Hitler.
