Alan Feeney has resigned as a Reform councillor for Solihull and Birmingham after backlash over racist comments that were captured in an undercover investigation. In a Facebook post on Friday, Feeney wrote: “There is no excuse for my comments. With responsibility comes accountability, and it is for that reason that I have resigned every post I hold on both Solihull borough council and Birmingham city council.” Earlier this week, an ITV investigation revealed secretly recorded footage of Feeney making racist comments about Asian homeowners, calling them “parasites”, and stating that “no more than 1% of [the] British population can be non-white”, during a local election campaign.
Feeney has apologised for his comments. They do not reflect the standards that the public rightly expects from an elected representative, and I take full responsibility for what I said,” he wrote in a Facebook post. These are communities I have supported countless times in my personal and professional life over many years, many of whom I have been lucky enough to call friends.” Earlier this year, Feeney won seats in the Shard End ward of Birmingham city council and the Castle Bromwich ward of Solihull metropolitan borough council, and was then appointed deputy mayor of Solihull.
Following the ITV investigation, which is part of a longer series on Reform UK, Feeney announced on Facebook that he was leaving Reform for “personal reasons”, but kept his seats as an independent councillor before resigning. In a Facebook post, Feeney wrote: “Byelections will be held on a timescale laid out by those councils in the due course. I hope that in time these councils, and the communities they serve can heal and move on.” Secretly filmed footage showed Feeney making racist remarks alongside two other Reform candidates who went on to become councillors, Jamie Campbell and Chris Whelan, while canvassing during May’s local elections.
Both Campbell and Whelan have also resigned after the fallout from the investigation. Nigel Farage has repeatedly pledged to rid Reform of “extremists” and “bigots”. The party says it carries out vetting checks on everyone who wants to stand for election.
The clips from ITV’s year-long undercover investigation showed Feeney calling Asian homeowners “parasites”, and stating that “no more than 1% of [the] British population can be non-white”. In a Facebook post Feeney wrote: “I understand that my words have caused hurt and anger, particularly among those from the communities I serve. For that, I am deeply sorry.
I will be undertaking intensive personal analysis to understand how these sentiments could have taken root, and ensure they can never do so again.” Alan Feeney and Reform UK have been approached for comment.
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