Reform councillor calls TV report 'vote interference'

A Reform councillor has accused ITV of "electoral interference" after undercover reporters joined its Portsmouth council election campaign as part of an undercover investigation into the party.

The ITV News Exposure documentary Undercover: A Year In Reform raised questions about Reform's vetting procedures for candidates following undercover filming.

The party's Hampshire leader George Madgwick was featured voicing support for the Portsmouth Patriots anti-immigration group. He subsequently issued a statement saying the undercover reporters potentially had an "impact on the result" of council elections.

ITV News has denied accusations of electoral interference. A spokesperson said the programme was produced in accordance with broadcasting regulations and was "in the public interest".

Reform has been under pressure following the two ITV News reports , which showed undercover footage, gathered over the past year, showing some of Reform's councillors and candidates using racist, violent and sexist language.

It comes two years after party leader Nigel Farage promised to root out "bad apples" from his party.

ITV News said it had reporters undercover with Reform UK candidates and councillors across England and Wales running up to the elections in May and four by-election campaigns this year and last.

The full 90-minute documentary - Undercover: A Year in Reform - is due to be broadcast on Sunday on ITV1 and ITVX. It was produced for ITV News by Hardcash Productions.

A second ITV News report , external broadcast on Thursday showed footage of Madgwick admitting that the Portsmouth Patriots - members of whom were shown expressing far right views - were actively helping Reform to campaign in the run up to the council elections.

In a statement, he denied being a member of the group but said he had "supported their movement over the years from the sidelines".

Madgwick said the two undercover reporters campaigned with the party in Portsmouth in March and April.

"It leads me to wonder whether their interference in an election is a potential criminal offence."

"We have no way to know whether they posted flyers they were meant to. Or whether they gave us correct door knocking information," he said.

He said they had campaigned in four seats, three of which the party narrowly lost