A Reform candidate in next month’s council by-election has deleted his personal Twitter account after it was flagged by a local anti-racist group.
Gary Farmer says the accusations made by Brighton Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) are “a nonsense and not worth the time of day”.
Among the tweets posted by @garycharlesxx SUTR flagged are some describing an influx of immigrants as an “invasion”, opposing what he describes as as the “Islamisation of England” and mocking Sadiq Khan as a “drama queen” for speaking out about racism.
The local party’s account, @reformbrighton, has retweeted far-right accounts including the leader of Britain First and campaign group Turning Point UK. That account is still active, but some tweets have been deleted.
Mr Farmer said: “This group does like to try to interrupt the democratic process across the nation.
“A lot of what is said is a nonsense and not worth the time of day, being accused of hating drag queens because of the Jaguar rebrand, referring to Sadiq Khan as a drama queen etc.
“In reference to ‘invasion’ and illegal migrants this is one repost or hashtag.
“The word invasion is defined as a large number of people who come to a place in an unwanted way. Considering the unsustainable record number of illegal crossings and the genuine concerns voiced across the country there is credence in this.
“Is a retweet of Katie Hopkins speaking about the election of Trump and the hysteria newsworthy?
“Please also remember that I am gay and married to a legal migrant, something SUTR like to forget.
“Living and working abroad and bringing in students on legal routes to the UK to study is something they are sadly unable to process, preferring to label people as racist for having any concerns about the bigger picture.
“Meanwhile I receive threatening comments and emails saying I will be thrown in an oven (referencing the treatment of homosexuals in the concentration camps), I’m compared to Jimmy Saville as a paedophile, told I am violent, called a Nazi and a fascist and so much more.”
“There are no racist tweets in either account, they know this. I am not a racist, they know this.”
If Gary thinks reporting statements he has made is “interrupting the democratic process” I don’t think he understands what the democratic process is. Similarly, I am not sure what his statement that he is “gay and married to a legal migrant” has to do with the matter. Do either of these situations mean that someone’s views and public statements cannot be questioned?
LOL, he’s accused of racism and homophobia, and you don’t see why that statement is relevant?
I’d say they’re not sending their best, but I think they actually are.
Playgrounds martyrs, one and all.
People can still be racist even if they are married to people of a different race. It does not give you a free pass.
The current leader of the fascist AFD in Germany, Alice Wiedel, is a lesbian whose partner is a migrant. Being part of the LGBT community and having a migrant partner is sadly no guarantee that you are free of racism and bigotry. Indeed for the far right today whether the AFD in Germany or Reform UK here what matters most is Islamophobia and scapegoating refugees, and anyone who looks at Gary Farmer’s deleted tweets exposed by SUTR will see disgusting Islamophobia and anti refugee hatred as well as his attacks on ‘woke’ and his support for British fascists like Tommy Robinson and Britain First.
Speaks volumes. Obviously he’s worried something will come back to bite him on the ass. Different party, same old pantomime. Reform aren’t going to turn out any better than the red or blue label tories we’ve all endured a lifetime of. We don’t need an election, we need a revolution.
Racist reform for when the Tories are not evil enough for you they can call themselves what they want but we all know they are racist at the end of the day
I do so hope that he wins. He seems like a good fit for the (silent) majority of people who live here.
Well Chris given the majority of people in Brighton and Hove are women, I wouldn’t be so sure Gary Farmer’s misogyny (with comments such as ‘you stupid woman’) will necessarily be the vote winner you think it is…
It’s deeply disappointing to see a repeated local election candidate respond to serious concerns about past tweets by simply deleting their account and offering vague justifications like “they were old” or “taken out of context.”
Public service demands transparency and accountability. If the tweets were truly taken out of context, the responsible approach would be to explain that context, not delete the evidence and walk away. Even more disappointing is that as an experienced candidate, standing for multiple wards and parties, one would assume he knows better managing one’s social media.
The fact that the tweets are “old” doesn’t make them irrelevant. What matters is whether the candidate acknowledges the harm, reflects on their past views, and demonstrates growth. Without that, how can voters trust their judgment or values?
Brighton deserves candidates who face scrutiny with honesty, not deflection. This isn’t about cancelling anyone; it’s about basic standards in public life. If someone wants to represent our communities, they should be willing to answer for their past, not hide from it.