Reform Councillor may have resigned over ITV News comments

A Tameside Councillor is reported to have resigned following the emergence of controversial comments recorded during an undercover ITV News investigation.

Councillor Raymond Dunning, who represents Ashton Waterloo on Tameside Council, is said to have resigned from the party’s council group after footage emerged of him making potentially offensive remarks about immigration and calling for migrants to be removed from the country.

However, the circumstances surrounding his reported departure remain unclear, and confirmation of his status from the party leadership hasn't been confirmed.

The controversy follows an undercover investigation by ITV News, which filmed Reform UK councillors and candidates during political campaigning across England and Wales.

During a conversation in a pub while campaigning around the Makerfield by-election, Cllr Dunning was recorded discussing what he would do if Reform formed a government.

He said he would deport people he believed should not be in the country, including their children, saying, “So first of all, I’d deport every other motherf***** in this country that doesn’t deserve to be here and their children as well. 

“First thing, you’re f****** gone, bang. And then I’ll pick up the pieces after that.” 

When asked by the undercover reporter whether his proposals would include legal migrants, he replied that they would, saying, “Even the legal ones. Because there’s nothing wrong with legal immigration as long as it’s done right, but there are certain people who have been granted permission to stay in this country who shouldn’t [have]."

He also spoke about training young men in military insurgency tactics to remove people from their homes, stating, "18-30 year old young lads, train them up in the army in insurgency tactics, so they can go street-by-street, house-by-house picking the c**** up.” 

The comments prompted a public apology from the councillor, who took to Facebook to acknowledge that his language had caused offence.

In a statement addressed to the people of the Ashton Waterloo ward, his colleagues, and others affected by the ITV News report, Cllr Dunning said: “First and foremost, I am deeply sorry.”

“The comments were made during a private social gathering, where I was unaware that an undercover journalist was secretly recording our conversations. 

“However, I fully recognise that being in a private setting does not excuse the language I used. 

“Looking back, I genuinely wish I had expressed my views in a more thoughtful, respectful and appropriate way. I cannot change the words I spoke, but I can acknowledge them, learn from them and sincerely apologise for the hurt and offence they may have caused. 

“I have always been passionate about my political beliefs and the issues facing our country. Those beliefs remain important to me, but I recognise that strongly held opinions should always be expressed with dignity and respect. 

“I am not a perfect person, and I have never claimed to be. I am someone who cares deeply about my community and who entered local politics because I genuinely wanted to make a difference. 

“The past few days have given me a great deal to reflect upon. I am disappointed in myself for allowing my choice of words to overshadow the work I have tried so hard to do for the people I represent. 

“To those I have offended, to my former colleagues, and particularly to the people who placed their trust in me, I offer my heartfelt and unreserved apology. 

“I cannot ask everyone to agree with my political views, but I hope that, in time, people will judge me not simply by words I deeply regret, but also by my actions, my character and my continued commitment to serving my community. 

“I am genuinely sorry, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.” 

Speculation about his position within the Reform UK group intensified after he was reportedly absent from a meeting of Tameside Council’s Speaker’s Panel (Planning) on Wednesday, October 14.

His reference to “former colleagues” in his apology has also fuelled suggestions that he may have left the group.

The ITV investigation has triggered a wider political backlash against Reform UK, with several of the party’s elected representatives facing scrutiny over comments captured by undercover reporters.

The party has said investigations have begun into members and councillors whose behaviour was deemed inappropriate, with suspensions imposed in some cases.