Nigel Farage crony makes 'Nigerian scammer' jibe at Kemi, just days after Reform's councillors were caught on camera making racist remarks

The Tories on Saturday redoubled their attack on 'racism' in Reform UK after a close ally of leader Nigel Farage described Kemi Badenoch as a 'Nigerian scammer'.

Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake accused Raheem Kassam, a long-standing adviser to Mr Farage, of 'launching racist slurs' against the Tory leader.

In one post on X, Mr Kassam wrote: 'How are people still falling for this Nigerian scammer? Don't give her your credit card number and bank account details!' 

In others he said: 'So Kemi, tell us the truth. Are you a walking gaffe or an illegal immigrant?' and pointedly used her full name – Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke Badenoch.

The Tories called on Mr Farage to 'come clean' about Mr Kassam's precise role in the party. He has been close to Mr Farage for more than a decade, serving as his chief of staff when he was Ukip leader.

Although Mr Kassam was in Reform's London HQ as recently as last week, the party denies that he has any formal role.

The posts from Mr Kassam – who once described himself as a 'one-man human shield' for Mr Farage and said he would take him to steam rooms to stop him sweating in public – have come amid accusations Reform is pursuing a so-called 'ethno-nationalist' strategy, with MPs claiming only those who are white can be truly English.

Mrs Badenoch has seen a surge in support since she used her speech to the Tory conference this month to attack Reform MPs who have parroted this line.

It comes after a week in which Reform were dogged with questions about their candidate-vetting processes after an undercover sting by ITV found multiple councillors and candidates expressing racist views and using offensive language. A Reform spokesman insisted: 'There is no room for racism in Reform UK.'

Mr Hollinrake told The Mail on Sunday: 'It's time for Mr Farage to come clean about precisely what role Raheem Kassam has within Reform. Does he have a paid position? Is he acting as an informal advisor? What influence does he have over Reform's communications and wider political strategy?

'Reform say there is no room for racism inside their party. How does that square with the fact Mr Kassam still seems to retain close ties to Mr Farage, while simultaneously launching racist slurs against the Leader of the Opposition?'

Mr Kassam denied wrongdoing and accused Mr Hollinrake of 'hurling woke, Leftist terms', saying: 'I'm Indian, but I don't think it is racist to call me Indian. Kemi is a compulsive liar. She is, without doubt, a scammer.'

In addition, a friend of Mr Kassam claimed that a delegation of Tory MPs had recently visited the restaurant which Mr Kassam runs in Washington DC and asked him to work with them.

The friend said: 'He has only been over from Washington for a few weeks and the Tories are already panicking, which is sort of flattering. But he has no intention of staying in London long term.'

A Reform insider said: 'Raheem's worked with people on the political Right on and off for over a decade, including the Conservative Party.

'Tory MPs dined at his restaurant in Washington last year and asked him to come back and work with them. They're obviously attacking him now because he refused.'

A Tory source strenuously denied the claim.

Mr Kassam has sent a flurry of messages in recent weeks on X, including one containing footage of Mrs Badenoch speaking at her father's memorial in 2022.

He wrote: 'When Kemi Badenoch speaks to other Nigerians, she turns off her fake English accent.

'She also tells them that she loves Nigeria just as much as England. And what's all this about saying Islamic prayers in Nigeria? She is running to be PM while stating equal allegiance to another country??? How are people still falling for this Nigerian scammer? Don't give her your credit card number and bank account details!'

Earlier this month, he criticised the version of the Bayeux Tapestry the Tories mocked up for their party conference, spoofing Labour figures such as Andy Burnham, John Healey and Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Kassam complained that their version of the embroidery, originally depicting events from 1064 onwards, 'includes their Nigerian leader, Olukemi Badenoch. This is Netflix-tier bad'.

Mrs Badenoch's approval ratings shot up when voters were shown clips of her saying she didn't want to live in a nation run by people who 'debate whether my mixed-race children are English' – including a leap from 40 per cent to 57 per cent among Reform voters.

Mr Farage has warned his colleagues to stop drawing lines around Englishness, 'exchanging words' with Suella Braverman after she suggested she could not be considered English because her parents were born abroad.

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