Richard Tice Avoids Condemning Racist Comments

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has refused to condemn one of his party’s new councillors who said Nigerians should be melted down to fill potholes.

Glenn Gibbins, who was elected in the Hylton Castle ward in Sunderland on Thursday, made the remarks on social media in 2024.

He was one of 1,500 new Reform councillors elected as Labour’s vote collapsed in its traditional heartlands.

On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Tice repeatedly refused to condemn the remarks, and accused Reform’s critics of “smearing and sneering”.

Attempting to deflect from the row, he added: “I’m going later to a campaign against the scourge of anti-semitism, which is the greatest threat facing us, particularly in London but elsewhere across the UK. That’s what people are really concerned about. If people have said daft things, of course it’ll be looked at.”

Kuenssberg told him: “One of your new Sunderland councillors, so a man who was elected to represent Reform, suggested melting Nigerians to fill potholes. Is that person who has expressed those views someone you are happy to see represent Reform?”

Tice replied: “Laura, this weekend we are celebrating our incredible successes. Like any party, you have internal processes to look at where people have said or done the wrong thing.”

Asked if he condemned the remarks, Tice said: “I condemn anything that is wrong or inappropriate.”

But asked if he condemned the councillor’s specific comments, he dodged the question and said: “The key thing is voters have heard all of this smearing and this sneering against all of us and they voted for more Reform because they want action, they want delivery. They’re sick of the failures of the Tories and Labour.”

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