The Equality and Human Rights Commission has formally written to Reform UK requesting information about the party's compliance with the Equality Act 2010. The letter follows complaints received after ITV's undercover documentary, "Undercover: A Year in Reform," broadcast in October, which captured elected officials and candidates expressing racist, Islamophobic, and misogynistic views on camera. The documented footage is specific and damning. Alan Feeney, a Reform councillor and deputy mayor of Solihull, called Asian homeowners "parasites," made Islamophobic remarks, and stated that "no more than 1% of the British population can be non-white." A Bromley councillor called for King Charles to be killed. Another councillor made what the Guardian describes as "disturbing sexual and misogynistic comments about female colleagues." Reform's own MP Sarah Pochin was filmed complaining the party was "chauvinistic" and riven with "alpha male shit." The EHRC's intervention is procedural but pointed. The commission said it received complaints "alleging unlawful activity under the Equality Act 2010" and is now assessing whether enforcement action is warranted. Its public statement reminded all political parties that they are "duty-bearers" under the Act, must take steps to avoid discrimination and harassment, and should review their policies to identify areas of potential violation. The language is measured, but the message is unmistakable: political parties are not exempt from equalities law. Reform's response follows a now-familiar pattern: deny, deflect, and counter-attack. The party said it had reported ITV and its reporters to the police and threatened civil legal action against the broadcaster. A spokesperson stated: "We are confident we have fully complied with our obligations under the Equality Act. There is no room for racism in Reform UK." Nigel Farage has claimed the party's vetting procedures have "improved greatly" — an implicit admission that previous procedures were inadequate. The EHRC's move is notable partly for its symmetry. Weeks earlier, the commission wrote to the Green Party of England and Wales about a policy equating Zionism with racism. The watchdog is demonstrating willingness to scrutinise parties across the political spectrum — a posture that gives its Reform letter more institutional credibility, though critics will note that a letter requesting information is a long way from enforcement. The structural question is whether this regulatory intervention has teeth. The EHRC can investigate, issue compliance notices, and ultimately bring legal proceedings. But the political dynamics are tricky: Reform is a populist party that thrives on perceived establishment persecution. An EHRC investigation could simultaneously be the correct legal response and a gift to Reform's narrative machine. The party's instinct to frame the documentary itself as the scandal — attacking the journalists rather than addressing the content — is already well established. What matters now is whether the EHRC moves beyond letters to investigation, and whether documented evidence on camera from elected officials triggers consequences that prior scandals have not. The Equality Act applies to political parties as employers and membership organisations. The footage doesn't show anonymous trolls; it shows councillors and a deputy mayor. The gap between Reform's stated position — "no room for racism" — and the documented conduct of its officials is the gap the EHRC has now formally asked the party to explain.
