When a party’s own group leader finds herself apologising not for a policy failure but for the racist and misogynistic conduct of three elected councillors, something has gone structurally wrong — not merely personally. That is the uncomfortable reality facing Reform UK in Solihull following the resignation of all three Castle Bromwich councillors this week, and it is a reality that Councillor Samantha Gethen’s carefully worded apology cannot entirely obscure.
The immediate facts are damning enough. Footage broadcast by ITV News on 14 October, drawn from the documentary Undercover: A Year in Reform, exposed Alan Feeney and Jamie Campbell making racist remarks, while Chris Whelan was shown making both racist and misogynistic comments. All three subsequently resigned as councillors. Feeney, who had served as deputy group leader following May’s local elections before Campbell assumed that role, formally quit on the afternoon of Friday 16 October. Within minutes, Gethen issued a public statement of apology to Castle Bromwich residents.
The apology itself is notable for its directness. “You put your trust in three councillors,” Gethen wrote, “and the comments reported this week were offensive, hurtful and wrong. They do not reflect the values of Reform, and they do not reflect the standards that you, or I, expect from anyone in public life.” She added that Castle Bromwich is “a warm, welcoming and diverse community” and committed to fielding candidates in the forthcoming by-elections who would “listen, show up and earn your trust.” These are the right words. Whether they are sufficient is another matter.
A Sequence of Statements That Undermines the Apology
What complicates Gethen’s contrition is the sequence of statements that preceded it. When Feeney and Whelan initially departed the Reform UK group — before ITV released its footage — the group leader thanked them for their “hard work on behalf of residents” and wished them well. There was no condemnation, no acknowledgement of wrongdoing. Only after the broadcast did a group spokesperson issue stronger language, condemning the “misogynistic and offensive comments” made by the two men. Even then, the statement characterised Campbell’s racist remark as “a joke in poor taste but with no malicious intent,” adding that “the party will not be taking any further action.” Campbell subsequently resigned as a councillor regardless.
This progression — from warm farewell to belated condemnation to full apology — suggests a party responding to public pressure rather than acting on principle. Institutional credibility depends on consistency, and the gap between the initial response and the final apology is wide enough to invite legitimate scepticism about whether Reform UK’s stated values are genuinely embedded in its candidate selection and internal culture.
The political fallout at Solihull Council has been swift and cross-party in character. An extraordinary council meeting has been convened for Monday 19 October to address the vacated roles. A motion backed by Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green councillors has been tabled — yet Reform UK’s remaining councillors have declined to support it. That refusal is conspicuous, and it will not go unnoticed by the residents Gethen has pledged to serve.
The by-elections now looming over Castle Bromwich will serve as the first real test of whether Reform UK can translate an apology into accountability. Candidate vetting, not public statements, will determine whether this episode represents a genuine reckoning or merely a reputational exercise. For a party that secured these seats on a platform of restoring trust in public institutions, the irony is considerable — and the electorate will have the final word.