Reform's Tice refuses to comment on 'go home' post

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice refused to criticise one of the party's mayoral candidates who said deputy prime minister David Lammy should "go home" to the Caribbean.

Chris Parry, who is set to stand in Hampshire and the Solent in 2028, posted on X in February that Mr Lammy's "loyalty lies" in the Caribbean.

Lammy was born in London to Guyanese parents and Parry previously told the BBC the story is "confected…with people not taking the time to read the original tweets".

"I'm not familiar with what was said," Tice said. "At the end of the day, David Lammy, he's a Cabinet minister. Whether we think he's doing a good job or a bad job is just part of politics."

"That's day-to-day life and he will, I'm sure, continue to claim he's doing a great job. We challenge him," Mr Tice told reporters at a press conference in Westminster on Tuesday.

After Parry's comment was read out to him, Tice declined to respond further, saying only: "I've given an answer."

Labour said on Monday that there is no "context" that can excuse "telling a black British man from London to 'go home to the Caribbean"'.

Lammy referred to the comment in a post last week, as he urged Reform's leader Nigel Farage to "stamp out" hate in his party.

He wrote: "I will never be cowed by racism.

"But I will call it what it is. Nigel Farage, you need to clean up your party and stamp out this 1950s-style hate."

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