Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Dr Chris Parry had gone 'over the top' in criticising Cabinet member David Lammy, who he said should 'go home' to the Caribbean
12:09, 07 Jan 2026Updated 12:09, 07 Jan 2026
Nigel Farage has finally called on an under-fire Reform candidate to apologise for saying David Lammy should "go home" to the Caribbean.
Mr Farage has come under fire for failing to sanction Dr Chris Parry, who has been accused of making racist remarks. In February last year the former Royal Navy Rear Admiral claimed the London-born Deputy PM's "loyalties" lay outside the UK.
He has also questioned the loyalty of a number of politicians from minority ethnic backgrounds - and suggested converts to Christianity should be made to eat bacon.
Asked if Dr Parry is a good representative for the party, Mr Farage said: "Look, some of his comments are a bit rich. I get that he is intensely patriotic, he's risen to the rank of rear admiral.
"He's given enormous service to this country. But I do think his comments on Lammy were over the top and he should apologise for them." He pointed out that Dr Parry has criticised "many white politicians" as well, branding them unpatriotic.
It emerged last month that Dr Parry also questioned whether eight other figures from minority ethnic backgrounds are primarily loyal to the UK.
These included Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, independent MP Zarah Sultana and Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar.
A trawl of Hampshire and the Solent mayoral candidate Dr Parry's social media feed revealed he said of Ms Mahmood: “Doesn’t her religion require her to show loyalty to her fellow Muslims before any country? Genuine question.”
And he wrote of ex-SNP leader Mr Yousaf: “His first loyalty is not to any country in the UK.” In another attack on Mr Lammy, Mr Parry wrote: “This is what happens when you have someone whose primary loyalty is not to the UK as foreign secretary.”
He also targeted Labour MP Dawn Butler, Scottish equalities minister Kaukab Stewart, and Labour MP Naz Shah. Referring to the latter, who took her parliamentary oath using the Qur’an, he wrote: “That’s OK, if she commits blasphemy by betraying the British people and demonstrating primary loyalty to another country.”
Labour chairwoman Anna Turley said he must "show some leadership" by throwing Dr Parry out of his party. She said: “The division and decline Farage peddles is not the path Britain needs."
In a statement in December, Dr Parry said: “Like millions of others, I am deeply concerned about the de Christianisation of our country. The specific wording of my posts were light-hearted and not intended as serious suggestions.
“However, I firmly believe that all asylum claims made on religious grounds need to be fully verified, with the onus on claimants to prove their sincerity. If woke lefties cannot cope with such banter, I suggest they protect their mental health by staying off social media.”