Reform UK Birkdale candidate's social feeds mean fresh questions over vetting process

Mark Ormsby posted a string of hateful and offensive posts

Hello and welcome to The Southport Lead.

After a string of controversies in previous General Election, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage promised that his party would have stricter vetting of candidates than ever before. Then last year, it dropped that strictness and we are now seeing the results.

On Friday, the Liverpool Echo reported on one Sefton candidate whose online activity included Holocaust denial, conspiracy theories and shameful comments about the Southport Attack.

Today, we bring you news of another candidate - this time for Birkdale ward - whose social media posts regularly target Muslims, lean into conspiracy theories, and share content from Tommy Robinson and Paul Golding.

Before publication, we contacted the candidate, the Southport branch of Reform UK and the Sefton party - and none had anything to say.

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Southport briefing

🚗 The family of a 79-year-old woman who was killed by an unsafe driver are urging people to back calls for the introduction of regular eyesight testing for drivers of all ages. Marie Cunningham and friend Grace Foulds were killed in Southport in November 2021 when she was hit by driver Glyn Jones who had continued driving despite being told by various professionals – on nine occasions over a 10-year period – that his sight did not meet the legal standards for driving. With three weeks remaining on the Government’s consultation process around its proposed new Roads Safety Strategy, the Cunningham family are asking people to add their voices. As part of the consultation, public opinion is being sought on proposals to introduce mandatory eyesight tests every three years for drivers aged 70 and over as well as whether compulsory eyesight tests should start from a younger age. Sue Rimaitis, Terry Cunningham, Lynn Cunningham and Steve Cunningham are calling for compulsory eyesight tests to be introduced every 10 years for drivers. Sue said: “We have campaigned so hard and pushed for this consultation, because it’s not just about what happened to our mum and our family. It’s about all families. To anybody thinking about whether to give their opinion or not, I’d stress that it’s about them too. It’s about their family: their mum, their dad, their siblings and their children. We know that there are so many people out there getting behind the wheel knowing they shouldn’t still be driving. It’s a chance they are taking; it’s like playing Russian roulette with lives.” You can take part in the survey here.

🏃 Two dads whose daughters were killed in the Southport attack said running has brought them so close they have become “like brothers” as they prepare to run the London Marathon together. Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe both ran last year’s London Marathon separately in memory of their daughters Alice and Elsie - but this time they are running alongside each other. David told the BBC: “Last year we ran it as two dads, and this time around we’re running it as two friends. We wanted to run it together because of how close we’ve got.” Read more here.

🚓 A Southport teenager was among five boys arrested over a robbery in Formby. Last Saturday, a 15-year-old boy was threatened by a group of other boys on Duke Street before having his phone, cash, bank card, sunglasses and watch stolen. Three suspects aged 14, 14 and 15 were found nearby and arrested on suspicion of robbery and on Tuesday, two 16-year-olds including the Southport boy were also arrested. All five have been conditionally bailed pending further inquiries. Local Policing Inspector Graham Fisher said: “We understand the concern that such offences can cause to victims and their families. I want to assure local residents that we take these reports very seriously.”

🔥 A warning has been issued after a wildfire caused significant damage to Ainsdale nature reserve. Fire crews and the staff from the council’s Green Sefton service responded when the blaze broke out on Monday and the cause has not yet been confirmed. Common cause are disposable barbecues and discarded cigarettes, with some 500 fires reported along the coast in a six week period in March and April last year. Mark Shaw, Service Manager for Green Sefton, said: “Sadly, it hasn’t taken long after the weather improving for us to see our first wildfire on the coastline. Visitors to the coast can help us ensure that it isn’t repeated. Any item that involves the use of fire, from cigarettes and firelighters to portable barbecues, runs the risk of causing an incident if abandoned or left unattended. With that in mind, none of these items should be used anywhere along the coast. This restriction is in place to prevent potential harm to people, plants, animals and the land, as well as to save fire and rescue services from responding to needless fires.”

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Fresh questions for Reform UK’s vetting over Birkdale candidates posts

Mark Ormsby

By Jamie Lopez

Reform UK is facing pressure to drop a Sefton Council local elections candidate who posted Holocaust denial and conspiracy theories online.

Nigel Farage’s party is being urged to dump a second prospective councillor in as many years, following Irene Davison who was due to stand in Blundellsands last year.

The calls come in relation to Bootle West candidate Jay Leslie Cooper who attracted headlines after being found to have described the Holocaust as a hoax, shared 9/11 conspiracy theories and said the deaths of three girls in the Southport attacks were “at the hands of Labour”. Today, The Southport Lead also highlights troubling posts from another candidate standing in a Birkdale seat.

The deadline for nominations has now passed and the nominated candidates will appear on ballot sheets alongside the Reform UK name regardless. However, the party is being urged to distance itself from its selection and make clear it no longer supports him or wishes to be associated with him.

While the national party has indicated it will investigate the posts, neither Reform’s Southport or Sefton branches responded to questions from The Southport Lead about the conduct of multiple local candidates alleged to have posted offensive or inappropriate content.

These include Birkdale Ward candidate Mark Ormsby who repeatedly shared videos uploaded by far right figures Tommy Robinson and Paul Golding among a string of Islamophobic content. The two men are the founder and current leader of Britain First respectively and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has distanced either from being welcome in the party but Ormsby repeatedly shared their content.

As well as frequently referring to government figures as “treacherous”, he regularly compared UK policing to the Gestapo and repeated two-tier policing conspiracies in a feed which was almost entirely devoted to anti-Islam posts.

In 2024, Golding posted an image of Humza Yousaf leading prayers as the then Scottish First Minister and wrote: “Scotland. Conquered by mass immigration.” In response, Ormsby commented: “Unbelievable. Tirkeys [sic] voting for Christmas except Christmas would be banned. How could we be so suicidal?”

He also shared a meme depicting Donald Trump looking out a plane window while saying “My God, Pakistan looks a right sh**hole” and being told that he’s actually looking at London. Alongside this, Ormsby wrote: “Sad but true”.