Undercover footage shows Reform activist claiming Muslims cannot be British

Reform UK is a British political party. It is generally described by established political sources as right-wing populist, with strong positions on immigration, national identity and opposition to established parties. The article shows it competing in elections through candidates, councillors and aspiring MPs. It also identifies Zia Yusuf as its home affairs spokesman and Sarah Pochin as a Reform MP.

The party matters because its members help shape political debate and could represent voters in Parliament or local government. The investigation recorded an aspiring MP discussing Islam, a councillor describing the party’s board as hardline, and other members using racist language. These comments connect internal party conduct with public trust and political leadership.

Reform says it has improved vetting and investigates members who behave inappropriately. It also says there is no room for racism. The continuing investigations could affect the party’s candidates, reputation and claims about who is fit to hold office.

The activist claimed that Muslim faith and British identity were incompatible. He said, “you cannot be a Muslim and British,” and compared the two identities to “oil and water.” He also said he was pleased if a Muslim was prepared to “de-convert,” but would disagree with someone who remained faithful to Islam.

His comments were made while discussing Zia Yusuf, whom he understood to be Muslim and who is Reform’s home affairs spokesman. The key issue is the activist’s attempt to define national belonging through religious belief. That view treats faith as a test of whether someone can be fully British, rather than separating personal religion from citizenship.

The article presents the remarks as part of ITV’s undercover investigation. Reform says it investigates clearly inappropriate behaviour and insists there is no room for racism. The comments could therefore increase pressure on the party to explain its standards and respond to the activist’s conduct.

Several people appear in the investigation and its political reaction. Zia Yusuf is identified as Reform’s home affairs spokesman. Sarah Pochin is a Reform MP who called the party “chauvinistic” and said women were excluded. Nigel Farage is the party figure responding to the revelations, while Bridget Phillipson is Labour’s chairwoman and criticised his response.

The investigation also features an unnamed Reform activist and aspiring MP. He made comments about Islam, British identity and people crossing the Channel. An unnamed Reform councillor described the party’s board as “hardline” and said some views could lead to expulsion if stated publicly. Other unnamed councillors and candidates allegedly used racist language.

These roles matter because the claims involve people at different levels of political activity. The party says it conducts investigations and follows due process. The revelations therefore raise questions about candidate selection, internal discipline and whether senior figures can control members’ public behaviour.

The latest UK census results indicate that roughly 4 million Muslim residents live in the United Kingdom. England and Wales recorded about 3.9 million Muslims in 2021. Scotland recorded about 120,000 in its 2022 census, and Northern Ireland recorded about 11,000 in 2021. Together, these figures produce a total close to 4 million residents.

This is a population measure, not a citizenship measure. Census questions count people living in the country and record their religion, but they do not provide one simple UK-wide figure for Muslims who hold British citizenship. Many Muslims living in Britain are British citizens, while others are permanent residents, students, workers or children.

The article does not provide population statistics. These figures come from official census data and clarify the scale of the community discussed by the activist. They also show why citizenship and religion should not automatically be treated as opposites: millions of Muslims are established residents of the United Kingdom, including British citizens.

If investigations find that Reform members or candidates used racist or discriminatory language, the party could impose internal disciplinary action. The clearest consequence mentioned is expulsion. An unnamed Reform councillor said some board members held views that would lead to expulsion if expressed publicly, although the article does not say that every person investigated will receive that punishment.

The mechanism is the party’s investigation and vetting process. Reform says it investigates activists or members who have “clearly behaved inappropriately.” It also says that people who do not share its values can sometimes pass vetting, because future comments cannot be predicted. This places responsibility on later investigations and decisions about conduct.

The immediate reality is that individual cases were still ongoing when Reform issued its statement. The party said it would respect due process and would not comment on individual cases. Findings could therefore affect membership, candidacy, public reputation or possible expulsion, depending on the evidence and outcome.

Britain’s modern legal system separates citizenship from personal religion. A person’s nationality and civic rights are not normally conditional on being Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu or non-religious. This principle developed gradually, because earlier Britain gave Christianity a privileged public position and imposed restrictions on some religious groups, including Catholics, Jews and nonconformists.

Over time, laws expanded religious toleration and political participation. Naturalisation and nationality rules focus on legal requirements such as status, residence and formal commitments, not conversion to Christianity. The Equality Act 2010 also protects religion or belief in many areas, including employment and services. These rules are the practical mechanism separating faith from citizenship.

The article does not provide this historical background. Established constitutional and legal history shows that being Muslim does not prevent someone from being British. The activist’s “oil and water” claim conflicts with the modern principle that national identity and religious belief can coexist, while debates about integration continue within lawful limits.

Freedom of religion means Muslims and other people may hold, practise, change or reject a religion, subject to limited legal restrictions. Equal citizenship means religious identity should not decide who can belong to the nation, vote, stand for office or receive public services. Anti-discrimination law requires fair treatment in areas such as employment, education, housing and services.

In practice, the Equality Act 2010 protects religion or belief, while the Human Rights Act incorporates freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Employers and service providers generally cannot treat someone worse because they are Muslim. The law can still restrict conduct that threatens safety or involves harassment, violence or criminal incitement. Rights protect people, not every hostile statement from consequences.

The article does not explain these legal principles. Applied to the investigation, they mean party members may hold political opinions, but claims that Muslims cannot be British can reinforce exclusion and may breach party standards. Reform’s investigations and possible expulsions are internal responses, separate from any criminal or civil legal action.