TWO FORMER REFORM COUNCILLORS RESIGN COUNCIL POSTS

Two former Reform UK councillors have resigned council posts after an ITV investigation recorded them making racist and sexual remarks. Solihull Council confirmed that Chris Whelan had resigned from the authority. Alan Feeney said he had resigned every post he held on Solihull Council and Birmingham City Council. Both men left Reform UK after the undercover filming came to light. The investigation followed Reform members over the course of a year.

ITV recorded Whelan making sexual remarks about two female Reform candidates and a racist remark about an Asian man. Whelan represented Solihull’s Castle Bromwich ward, won election in May and sat on the council’s planning committee. During campaigning before May’s council elections, Feeney described an area with Asian families as “infested” and called the families “absolute parasites”. He also said no more than 1% of the UK population should be non-white. Feeney’s July register of interests at Solihull Council listed him as a custodial manager with the prison service.

Feeney said his recorded remarks “were wrong, offensive and completely unacceptable”. In a Facebook statement, he offered “sincere and unreserved apologies” and said the comments did not reflect his beliefs, particularly about the communities he mentioned. The prison service has suspended Feeney from his job, and the Ministry of Justice called his recorded comments “despicable”. Reform MP Robert Jenrick said he disliked what he heard in the documentary and said the party had removed or suspended those involved. Solihull Council now lists Whelan’s former seat as vacant.