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Reform UK’s candidate for Mayor in Doncaster this May has been accused of making “openly racist comments” following the train stabbings over the weekend.
In posts on Sunday, responding to Saturday’s mass stabbing attack on the Doncaster to London King’s Cross train, Reform councillor Alexander Jones explicitly attributed the crime to “individuals” who were “not English” and instead “Black and of Caribbean descent” – despite the alleged killer being British.
When a commenter noted that fact, Cllr Jones replied that being “English” is tied to racial “lineage” and “Anglo-Saxon heritage”, appearing to imply that people of colour born in Britain cannot be English:
The remarks came in now-deleted Facebook posts from Cllr Jones, who represents Edenthorpe and Kirk Sandall in the Yorkshire borough. He was the candidate feted by Reform leader Nigel Farage MP as the city’s next mayor, and who just missed out on the top job to Labour earlier this year.
Introducing Cllr Jones as Reform’s Doncaster mayoral candidate in March, Farage said: “Alexander understands the challenges faced by local people having lived here all his life. He is young, energetic and exactly what’s needed to get Doncaster back on track,” adding in a separate interview that Reform would bring “entrepreneurial flair and spirit” to the Yorkshire city. While Jones lost out on the mayoralty, he was elected as a councillor and Reform went on to win control of the city council.
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A Doncaster Labour spokesperson told Byline Times: “In a moment of national shock following the horrific attack, former Doncaster Mayoral candidate for Reform UK chose to spread misinformation in an attempt to stoke racial hatred and division.
“Sadly, this is the behaviour that we are coming to expect from Reform UK.”
The “deeply offensive and discriminatory” remarks in the words of one resident “use the tragedy to promote racist generalisations about immigration and so-called ‘third world cultures’ a local told Byline Times.
One resident told this outlet the rhetoric was “outrageous, inflammatory, and wholly incompatible with public office.”
“It promotes racial division, undermines community cohesion, and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. It is vital that such racism from elected representatives is called out and held to account.”
A Doncaster resident, Andy, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said: “I find these comments deeply unacceptable because they stoke division and undermine the sense of unity in our City. Statements like this make valued members of our community – many of whom were born here and are proud British citizens – feel targeted and unwelcome. That’s not what Doncaster stands for.”
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Shortly after Byline Times contacted Reform HQ with the story, Jones posted on Facebook saying that his Sunday post was “open to interpretations” and that he “apologise[d] for any offence caused.”
But the Doncaster African Caribbean Support Group wrote that his comments suggested “racism is normalised in the City of Doncaster.”
“[There’s an] urgent need to address systemic racism…”Othering” is distasteful and is undermining community cohesion,” adding that Doncaster was: “One people, one city, one love.”
Reform UK and Alexander Jones were contacted for comment but did not respond directly.
Nigel Farage has himself been accused of racism. In 2014, Farage …