The Reform activist filmed by Channel 4 using a racial slur about Rishi Sunak while campaigning in Clacton has turned out to be an actor who is well-spoken but specialises in ‘rough voices’ – though the activist and Channel 4 have denied that he was a plant. Isabel Oakeshott broke the story on TalkTV this morning. She said:
You know, there was bewilderment within the party yesterday, as to who this guy was. The party was certainly familiar with some of the other characters and there’s no excuse for any of the languages that they used, but the worst language – the most egregious comments – were from Andrew Parker who is really not a player within the Reform Party. So it’s just very, very murky.
He bears a remarkable resemblance to an actor whose details can be quite easily found on the internet. You can use software recognition that gives a 99.9% confidence rate that they are the same people – a professional actor, and crucially, this professional actor specialises in so-called ‘rough voices’.
So if you’ve been to his show reel his rough voice is exactly the same as the voice of the character in the on the Channel 4 undercover documentary. An urgent investigation is now underway.
If it turns out that this character was a paid actor or even acting in a voluntary capacity for whatever their reasons, you know, maybe they have a political agenda. I don’t know. If that turns out to be the case. Then there will be hell to pay for the production company and Channel 4.
Reform leader Nigel Farage tweeted:
Andrew Parker was the man that made the astonishing racist comments that have given us so much negative coverage. We now learn that he is an actor by profession. His own website says he is “well spoken” but from the moment he arrived in Clacton he was doing what he calls “rough speaking”. This whole episode does not add up.
Farage adds that Parker initially lied to the Telegraph about being an actor: “When the Telegraph spoke to Andrew Parker earlier he denied being an actor. He has now admitted that was not true. What else is he being untruthful about?”
Oakeshott retweeted a clip posted by James Sutherland showing Parker’s ‘rough voice’. Sutherland writes: “Here’s a clip of Andrew Parker, the actor featured in Channel 4’s footage making racist remarks to voters. In the first part of the video you can hear his natural voice. He then does what he calls his ‘rough voice’, which is how he spoke in the C4 footage. Hit job? You decide.”
Oakeshott notes that Parker lists “secret filming” as one of his “special skills”.
Parker himself has apologised and claimed he was “goaded on”.
Andrew Parker said he made the comments, recorded by undercover reporters, “in the heat of the moment”.
Mr. Parker also confirmed claims that he was a part-time actor but said he got involved with Reform U.K. after contacting the party himself and volunteering to do leafleting because he believes in its message.
He said he had not told the party that he was an actor.
Mr. Parker said: “Of course I regret what I said. Christ, I’m not a racist. I’ve had Muslim girlfriends. It was typical chaps-down-the-pub talk.”
Asked whether he would like to apologise, he said: “Of course I’m sorry. They were off-the-cuff things that everyone says.”
He said he had “a lot of Pakistani friends” and “Muslim friends”, and that he was “sick to death” of being asked about the footage.
Parker’s comments were quite extraordinary – some of which were made to a member of the public on the doorstep:
Giving his view on Muslims and what the party would do with mosques, he said: “Sick mate. Sick m—-f—–”, adding: “It’s a cult. I tell you what, if you don’t know about Islam, it is the most disgusting cult.
“We’re f—— kicking all the Muslims out of the mosques and turning them into Wetherspoons.”
In the same conversation, Mr. Parker said: “I’ve always been a Tory voter but what annoys me is that f—— p— we’ve got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. He’s just wet. F—— useless.”
Talking to a prospective voter on the doorstep, Mr. Parker is also heard expressing his views on how to stop the boats, suggesting Army recruits should carry out “target practice”.
A spokesman for Channel 4 denied that Parker was paid or previously known to the production team:
We strongly stand by our rigorous and duly impartial journalism which speaks for itself. We met Mr. Parker for the first time at Reform U.K. party headquarters, where he was a Reform party canvasser. We did not pay the Reform UK canvasser or anyone else in this report. Mr. Parker was not known to Channel 4 News and was filmed covertly via the undercover operation.
Oakeshott admits – though with obvious incredulity – that it could just be a coincidence: “Yes, sure, it’s theoretically possible that Channel 4 just *happened* to strike gold by finding a horrendous racist who just HAPPENS to be an actor who just HAPPENS to specialise in the same ‘rough voice’ used in the undercover footage and just HAPPENS to be a Reform supporter. It’s possible!”
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