Reform UK Suspends Jason Powell After Concentration Camp Remarks
Two other party figures recorded calling for mass shootings of grooming gang members are not under investigation, Reform says
By AXY Politics Desk ·
Key points
- Reform UK has suspended aspiring parliamentary candidate Jason Powell after an ITV documentary recorded him advocating concentration camps for people arriving by boat.
- Powell was also recorded saying 'you cannot be Muslim and British' and criticising Reform's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf, who is a Muslim.
- Reform says two London councillors recorded calling for violence against grooming gang members, Adam Parkins and David Kerr, are not under investigation.
- The documentary has prompted questions about how Reform vets its candidates, and the full broadcast is due on Sunday night.
An aspiring Reform UK parliamentary candidate, Jason Powell, has been suspended from the party after an ITV documentary recorded him advocating the use of concentration camps and saying "you cannot be Muslim and British". The Guardian reported on 18 October 2026 that the full documentary was due to be broadcast on Sunday night, and that its contents had already prompted fresh questions about how Reform vets the people it puts forward for public office.
According to the Guardian's account, Powell is one of a number of people featured in the programme. The year-long investigation included undercover filming at an event the party's supporters referred to as "Farage Fest". The gathering was thrown by Reform to thank volunteers who helped Nigel Farage get re-elected as the MP for Clacton in a recent byelection. Powell attended and, the report says, had told those present that he had passed the vetting checks needed to become a Reform parliamentary candidate.
What the Undercover Filming Recorded
The most serious remarks attributed to Powell concern people who arrive in the UK by crossing the English Channel. He was recorded saying: "Anyone who comes across on a boat, as an example, in the first week of election, build concentration camps, and everyone who comes across on the Channel, you're in there." He went on to describe those arriving as needing to be "rounded up" and sent to such camps, and said they should be given an ultimatum to disclose where they were from or remain in detention for the rest of their lives.
The phrase "concentration camps" carries a specific and grave historical meaning. It is most closely associated with the camps run by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, in which millions of people were persecuted and murdered. Using the term to describe a proposed policy for people arriving by boat is widely regarded as inflammatory, and it is the central reason the remarks have drawn condemnation. The Guardian's report does not say whether Powell has responded to the specific allegations in the documentary, so his position beyond the suspension is not known from the source material.
Remarks About Muslims and Reform's Home Affairs Spokesman
The documentary also recorded Powell making comments about Islam. He was reported as saying he was "pretty hardline about Islam as well". He added that he would have disagreements with Zia Yusuf, whom he described as Reform's home affairs spokesperson and as a Muslim, before saying: "To me... you cannot be a Muslim and British... it's like oil and water."
Statements of this kind, which tie religious identity to national belonging, are at the centre of debates about discrimination and community cohesion in Britain. Yusuf is one of the most visible figures in Reform's leadership team on home affairs, so the remarks about him are likely to be read as a direct challenge within the party as well as a public controversy. Political analysts often note that when a party's own candidates make comments about senior colleagues, the issue can quickly move from individual conduct to questions about the party's internal culture.
Two Councillors Not Under Investigation
The Guardian reports that Reform has said two other party figures, both elected as councillors in London, are not under investigation. Both were recorded advocating violence against grooming gang members, a reference to offenders convicted of child sexual exploitation.
One of them, Adam Parkins, was recorded saying that if he were prime minister he "would quite happily do Sunday morning rose garden executions". The other, David Kerr, is a colleague of Parkins on Hounslow council in west London. Kerr was quoted as saying that when it comes to grooming gang perpetrators, they should be lined up and shot, and he suggested that a few thousand of them should be machine gunned. The Guardian does not indicate whether either councillor has commented on the recordings.
The contrast between the party's decision to suspend Powell and its statement that these two councillors are not under investigation is likely to be a central point of pressure on Reform. Calls for violence against a defined group of people are serious matters in any public role, and the distinction the party has drawn will be closely examined by journalists, opponents and possibly by the councillors' own local authorities.
Background: Grooming Gangs and the Politics of Immigration
The reference to grooming gangs is rooted in a long-running and deeply sensitive issue in England. Groups of men have been convicted of sexually exploiting, mostly underage girls, in several towns and cities. The scandal became a national issue after official inquiries and court cases in places including Rotherham and Rochdale, and it has since been used heavily in political debate, often in connection with questions about ethnicity, immigration and the response of public bodies.
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has become one of the most prominent parties on the right of British politics, with a campaign focus on immigration and border control. The party has grown rapidly and has attracted large numbers of new members and candidates, which is one reason why its vetting processes have drawn attention. Parties that expand quickly often face questions about whether checks on every candidate and local representative are thorough enough. The documentary's claim that Powell said he had passed vetting checks puts that question directly on the party.
The immigration debate in the UK has also been shaped by the issue of people crossing the Channel in small boats, which has been a recurring subject of public concern and government policy. That context helps explain why remarks about boat arrivals resonate strongly with voters, and why statements proposing detention or mass removal can create such intense reactions.
Questions About Reform's Vetting Process
The immediate question raised by the documentary is how individuals who have made statements of this kind came to be considered for candidacy or elected office. Vetting, in political parties, usually means checks on a candidate's background, public statements and conduct before they are approved to stand. The Guardian's report says the programme has already led to fresh questions about this process, but the source material does not detail what checks Reform carried out in these individual cases.
Several questions are likely to be pressed in the coming days. These include whether Powell's public social media activity and past statements were reviewed, whether the councillors' comments were known to the party before the filming, and what standards apply to elected councillors who are not formally candidates. Analysts say that how Reform answers these questions may matter as much as the suspension itself, because a suspension alone does not address how the individuals were selected or supported in the first place.
What Happens Next
The full ITV documentary is due to be broadcast on Sunday night. Its complete footage may contain further context, responses or material not yet reported, and the Guardian's article was based on the documentary as it had been previewed. Readers should expect further details to emerge from the broadcast.
Several developments could follow. Reform may be asked to explain its vetting procedures in detail, and it may face questions about whether the councillors named in the report will also face internal review. Local authorities in London, including Hounslow council, may come under pressure to respond to the comments made by councillors elected to their area. Political observers also say that the controversy could affect how other parties and the public judge Reform's claim to be a party of mainstream change, although the scale of any impact will depend on how the party handles the allegations and what the broadcast shows.
For now, the verified facts are that Powell has been suspended, that the documentary recorded him making the remarks described, and that Reform has said two other councillors are not under investigation. Any further action, explanation or response from the party or the individuals named will be important for understanding where the matter goes next.
Topics: Reform UK, Jason Powell, Nigel Farage, Zia Yusuf, ITV documentary, Hounslow council, Grooming gangs
Sources: The Guardian Politics
https://axynewsglobal.com/article/reform-uk-suspends-jason-powell-after-concentration-camp-remarks