(London) — December 19, 2025 20:43:00 —
A Reform UK mayoral candidate has faced scrutiny after comments surfaced questioning the loyalty of several British politicians of minority ethnic backgrounds.
Chris Parry, a Reform UK candidate, has publicly questioned the primary loyalty to the UK of multiple politicians, including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
- Reform UK has not condemned Chris Parry’s comments about David Lammy, in which he suggested Lammy should “go home to the Caribbean.”
- Parry has questioned the loyalty of at least eight other politicians, including Anas Sarwar, Naz Shah, Humza Yousaf, Zarah Sultana, Sadiq Khan, Dawn Butler, Shabana Mahmood, and Kaukab Stewart.
- Labour has accused Reform UK of enabling racism and called for Parry to be removed as a candidate.
Comments Question Loyalty
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Chris Parry, a retired naval rear admiral and Reform UK candidate for the now-postponed Hampshire and the Solent mayoral election, suggested in February that Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy’s “loyalty lies” in the Caribbean, according to The Guardian. Parry made the comment in response to a news story about potential UK government discussions regarding reparations for slavery, which ministers have since rejected.
Expanding Criticism
Since May, Parry has made further comments on X, formerly known as Twitter, questioning the loyalty of other politicians. In May, he highlighted footage of Anas Sarwar, the leader of Labour in Scotland, speaking at a 2022 event celebrating the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence, writing, “So many people in @UKLabour don’t owe their primary loyalty to Britain.”
The following month, Parry commented on footage of Labour MP Naz Shah taking her parliamentary oath using the Qur’an, stating, “That’s OK, if she commits blasphemy by betraying the British people and demonstrating primary loyalty to another country.” He also questioned the loyalty of Humza Yousaf, the former first minister of Scotland, saying, “His first loyalty is not to any country in the UK.”
Further Accusations
In October, Parry responded to a tweet from former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, now representing Your Party, about a journalist’s call for her deportation, stating, “It’s because your first loyalty is not to the British people.” He also questioned the loyalty of London Mayor Sadiq Khan and MP Dawn Butler after footage emerged of them attending a Jamaica-themed party.
More recently, Parry questioned the loyalty of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, asking if her religion required her to prioritize loyalty to fellow Muslims over the UK. He also stated that Scottish equalities minister Kaukab Stewart’s “primary loyalty is not to Britain or Scotland.” Parry also previously questioned Lammy’s loyalty when he served as foreign secretary.
Reform UK’s Response and Labour’s Criticism
Reform UK’s deputy leader, at a press conference on Tuesday, appeared to suggest Parry’s sentiments could be considered acceptable political debate, stating that challenging Lammy was “just part of politics.”
Anna Turley, the Labour chair, strongly criticized Reform UK, stating that Nigel Farage “needed to throw Chris Parry out” weeks ago. She accused Farage of “turning a blind eye to racism” and being “unfit for high office.”
Time.news based this report in part on reporting by The Guardian and added independent analysis and context.
