Nigel Farage has suggested an undercover investigation which filmed Reform UK members using racist language was carried out “because the establishment frankly want us out of the picture”.

The party leader said one of the people filmed had previously been a Conservative councillor, and while Reform carries out vetting “you can’t vet people for what they say in the future”.

The ITV News investigation found councillors and candidates with Reform UK had used racist language.

In one excerpt, black children were referred to as “animals”, and another Reform member said his area had become “infested” with Asian families.

Mr Farage, speaking on a visit to Chelmsford in Essex on Thursday, said: “You can’t vet people for what they say in the future and of these people on ITV that have caused outrage, the worst of them by far was a Conservative councillor for years and years and years who joined us last year.

“I put it to you, if you went and spoke to hundreds of Conservative councillors and tried to provoke them you would find all sorts of things and all sorts of comments said.

“It’s just that you never will see an expensive investigation like that into the other parties because the establishment frankly want us out of the picture.”

He continued: “We deal appropriately always with people saying and doing bad things, no question about that.

“We vet much more heavily than the other parties, but you can’t vet against what somebody might say in the future, especially if they’re provoked in conversation.”

Nigel Farage during a walkabout in Chelmsford (Will Colebourne/PA)

PA Wire

During a walkabout in Chelmsford a man told Mr Farage he was “out of order” for not attending the Clacton by-election count in August, which saw him retain his seat, while Count Binface finished second.

Mr Farage told the man, who said he used to be an activist: “I didn’t want to get punched.”

A woman who heckled Mr Farage from a distance was kept away by security staff, and the Reform UK leader did not engage with her comments.

He said of a poll earlier this week, which saw Reform UK drop to third behind Labour and the Tories: “The last couple of months you’ve got the whole of the Tory press promoting Kemi Badenoch as the saviour.

“We’ve had problems whether it’s ITV or Channel 4 or whatever it is.

“You know what, I’m here today in Chelmsford, we’re running the county council, we’re doing a good job, we’re building for the next general election, we’ve raised money, we’re reorganising and we will be back up in those polls, I have no doubt.”