Tameside Green Party condemns comments by Reform councillors

The condemnation follows an undercover ITV News investigation that exposed remarks by Reform councillors and candidates across England and Wales, including Tameside.

Tameside Green Party has criticised Reform UK over comments exposed in an undercover ITV News investigation. One of the Reform UK members included in the expose is Tameside Councillor Raymond Dunning.

The investigation, reported by ITV News on 14 October, included footage of Dunning allegedly saying he would deport legal migrants and expressing a desire to train young men to go “street-by-street, house-by-house”, using a racial slur when referring to those being targeted.

ITV News reported that Dunning had been approached for comment. Today (October 15), Dunning has taken to Facebook to say:

"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."

He concluded by saying:

"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."

As a response to the ITV News investigation, Tameside Green Party has called on Reform UK’s local and national leadership to respond to the remarks and explain what action, if any, will be taken.

The new controversy follows previous reports concerning Reform UK’s local campaigning operation.

In April 2026, The Guardian reported that Adam Mitula, a Reform activist who had been suspended from the party pending an investigation, was acting as the election agent for Reform candidates in three Tameside-area wards.

The reported suspension followed the publication of social media posts that appeared to contain racist and antisemitic comments. Mitula said his remarks had been taken out of context.

Tameside Reform leader Allan Hopwood has also faced criticism over previous social media posts.

The latest developments have renewed questions about the standards expected of local political representatives and how parties respond when the conduct of their members comes under scrutiny.

A spokesperson for Tameside Green Party said:

“Residents across Tameside deserve representatives who bring people together, stand up for their neighbours and treat everyone with dignity and respect. The remarks attributed to Raymond Dunning are deeply disturbing, and they demand a clear response from Reform UK’s local and national leadership.

“When a local councillor is reported as expressing a desire to target people using racist language, it is not enough for the party to dismiss the wider problem as a handful of bad apples. Reform must explain how this behaviour has been allowed to reach the highest levels of local representation and what meaningful action it intends to take.

“These revelations must also be considered alongside the previous concerns surrounding Adam Mitula and past social media posts by local Reform leader Allan Hopwood. The cumulative picture raises serious questions about the political culture Reform is promoting in Tameside.

“People in Tameside are dealing with real challenges: the cost of living, pressures on public services, housing, transport and the future of our environment. They deserve politicians who work to address those challenges, not politicians whose words risk turning neighbours against one another.

“Racism and prejudice have no place in our council chambers, our election campaigns or our communities. We call on Reform UK’s leadership to address these revelations openly, investigate the conduct of those involved and demonstrate through meaningful action that discrimination will not be tolerated.”

With local elections due in 2027, the Green Party said the standards and conduct of candidates should be part of the debate about who represents Tameside residents.