Reform UK candidate apologises over Hitler neutrality comments

When the comments first came to light, a Reform UK party spokesman suggested they were not endorsements but "arguing points in long distance debates".

But asked about the comments at a press conference later the party’s Chairman, Richard Tice, said that if people did “inappropriate things” or said “daft things” then the party would “look at it” and “investigate".

Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage said "every party" would face issues with vetting candidates due to the unexpected election timing, which had cut short the checks parties carry out.

In July 2022, Mr Gribbin posted on the Unherd website: "Britain would be in a far better state today had we taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality…. but oh no Britain’s warped mindset values weird notions of international morality rather than looking after its own people."

The same month he wrote: "In Britain specifically we need to exorcise the cult of Churchill and recognize that in both policy and military strategy, he was abysmal."

The previous month he criticised women, writing on the site’s message board: "Do you think you could actually work and pay for it all too like good citizens?

"Men pay 80% of tax – women spend 80% of tax revenue. On aggregate as a group you only take from society.

"Less complaining please from the 'sponging gender'."

He added that women are "subsidised by men to merely breath (sic)".

In January 2022 he posted: "Men pay 80% of tax. Women take out 80% of expenditures.

"Square that inequality first by depriving women of healthcare until their life expectancies are the same as men, Fair’s fair."

In December 2021 he wrote female soldiers "almost made me wretch (sic)" and were a "total liability".