Labour MPs have called for the suspension of a Reform UK election candidate in Essex after he allegedly celebrated the rape of two Sikh women in the Midlands. The joint investigation by the Mirror and the anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate alleged that Stuart Prior, standing for Reform in Rayleigh West (for Essex county council) and Sweyne Park and Grange (for Rochford district council), made a series of racist comments on social media in recent months. These included declaring white people the "master race" and calling Muslim people "rats."
In October, former Labour MP Zarah Sultana highlighted the rapes of two Sikh and Punjabi women in Walsall and Oldbury, stating: "These horrifying attacks show how racism and misogyny feed each other – fuelled by the rise of fascism and hate." In response, Prior, 54, is alleged to have commented: "Good. Reap it."
The two Sikh women, both in their 20s, were raped in separate attacks in Walsall and Oldbury last year. Last week, John Ashby, 32, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the racially motivated rape of the woman in Walsall. When approached by a Mirror reporter, Prior denied making the comments and denied being a racist.
Four Labour MPs from the metropolitan borough of Sandwell, West Midlands – Sarah Coombes, Antonia Bance, Gurinder Singh Josan, and Alex Ballinger – sent a joint letter to Reform's leader in Sandwell, Ray Nock, urging him to condemn the comments. The letter stated: "The community in Sandwell was shaken to its core last year after a Sikh woman was raped in a racially aggravated attack. It has now emerged that a Reform candidate in Essex, Stuart Prior, has celebrated this attack. Will you, as the leader of the Reform party in Sandwell, condemn this disgusting behaviour and will you write to Nigel Farage requesting Stuart Prior be immediately withdrawn as a Reform party candidate?"
The MPs also alleged that a Reform candidate in Sandwell had shared "racist anti-Muslim beliefs" and called on Nock to withdraw their candidacy. In April, HuffPost reported that Jonathan James Fox had shared a post in 2019 saying: "People who eat bacon are less likely to blow themselves up." The MPs described this as a "clear statement of hatred against Muslims."
The demands come amid growing concerns over Reform's vetting of candidates. Last week, Hope Not Hate highlighted the views of several Reform candidates, including one who called for a "white Britain" and suggested Keir Starmer should be shot. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage previously insisted the party's vetting processes had improved since the general election.
In response to the Labour MPs' letter, Reform UK stated that the party is thoroughly investigating the allegations, and the cases involving Prior and Fox are with the party's disciplinary team.
