Reform candidate suspended after likening Jewish group to ‘Islamists on horseback’

Reform UK has sacked a Hampshire mayoral candidate after comparing a Jewish neighborhood watch group to “Islamists on horseback” following an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances.

Chris Parry was suspended pending an investigation after he made comments about Shomrim, a volunteer patrol service, in a series of social media posts on Monday.

He also reportedly described the band members as “cosplayers.” Guardin a post that has since been deleted.

Shomrim is working with Hatzola, the Jewish-led charity ambulance service that was targeted by arsonists in the early hours of Monday morning, providing free emergency medical attention and transport to hospitals.

Mr Parry reportedly shared a post by former Brexit party leader Catherine Blaiklock, who posted a photo of Shomrim vehicles with the caption: “Can Christian’s” [sic] “Is Britain setting up its own police and patrolling certain neighbourhoods?”

Resharing the post, Mr Parry added: “Remember that these cosplayers have no more jurisdiction or legal authority than ordinary citizens.”

He later shared, referring to Shomrim: “They are a community organization, not a legal entity. Same with Islamists on horseback. But if it bothers you, I will remove it.”

Mr Parry was expected to be the Reform mayoral candidate in Hampshire and the Solent in 2028.

Contacted by: Guard, Mr Parry, who first reported the posts, responded: “Many people commenting on

Shomrim president Rabbi Herschel Gluck accused Mr. Parry of being “ignorant” about the group’s work.

He said: “Given that he is a politician who aspires to be mayor, this shows a level of bias and ignorance that surprises me. “Such comments are extremely strange, to say the least.

“We work on a voluntary basis with all sections of the community and have a very close relationship with the police, who are very appreciative of our role.”

The comments made on Monday are not Mr Parry’s first controversial remarks; The mayoral candidate had previously called on deputy prime minister David Lammy to “go home to the Caribbean”.

In a post in January about speculation that the government might consider talks on slavery reparations, he wrote: “Lammy should go home to the Caribbean, where her loyalties lie.”

He later apologized “for any distress or offense” caused by the comment, which was condemned as racist by Labor and described as “over-the-top” at the time by party leader Nigel Farage.

A Reform party spokesman said on Tuesday: “Chris Parry has been suspended by Reform UK pending an investigation.”

It appears that his candidacy has also been suspended.

Mr Parry’s final words came after four Jewish community ambulances were set on fire in the early hours of Monday morning.

It was stated that the incident in Golders Green, northwest of London, was treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime by the Metropolitan Police, but was not considered terrorism at this stage.

Sir Keir Starmer called on communities to “stand together” against the “appalling anti-Semitic attack”, while Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said it was “particularly sickening” that voluntary service was being targeted.

This comes just months after two worshipers were killed in a deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester in October 2025; In a separate investigation earlier this month, two men were charged with allegedly spying on Jewish people and Iranian locations.

The latest official police figures on hate crimes in England and Wales showed that Jews had the highest rate of religious hate crimes against them of any faith group.

The Liberal Democrats said Mr Parry’s latest comments were “deeply insensitive, insulting and unbecoming of someone seeking to hold public office”.

Following his suspension, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said Reform had questions to answer during the initial review.

“It’s a good start but Farage has a long way to go,” he said.

“There are serious questions that need to be answered about how this candidate was approved in the first place.

“Farage must now ensure that tougher action is taken when a Reform politician or candidate makes racially offensive comments, which is more often than most sensible people would like.”