{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/politics/reform-uk-hopeful-calls-for-concentration-camps-for-asylum-seekers","slug":"reform-uk-hopeful-calls-for-concentration-camps-for-asylum-seekers","url":"https://mediabias.news/politics/reform-uk-hopeful-calls-for-concentration-camps-for-asylum-seekers","title":"Reform UK hopeful calls for 'concentration camps' for asylum seekers","subtitle":"Undercover footage also captures aspiring MP stating Muslims cannot be British.","excerpt":"An undercover investigation by ITV has revealed an aspiring Reform UK MP suggesting asylum seekers should be placed in 'concentration camps' and stating that Muslims cannot be British. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has stated there is no room for racism in the party.","category":"Politics","area":"United Kingdom","publishedAt":"2026-10-18T00:25:11.879Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-10-17T20:31:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-18T00:25:11.879Z","readTime":"3 min read","scores":{"trust":60,"critic":65,"hype":45,"notes":{"trust":"Central claims attributed to ITV investigation; two independent outlets published full reports.","critic":"Reports quote affected parties and state what happens next; facts are clearly separated from comment.","hype":"Headlines promise revelations from an undercover investigation, which the articles deliver."}},"tags":["#ReformUK","#Immigration","#Islamophobia","#Politics","#UndercoverInvestigation"],"entities":["Jason Powell","Nigel Farage","ITV","Reform UK"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["An aspiring Reform UK MP, Jason Powell, was recorded by an undercover ITV reporter suggesting asylum seekers should be put in 'concentration camps'.","Powell also stated that it is impossible to be both Muslim and British, describing the two as 'like oil and water'.","Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has stated that there is no room for racism in the party and that investigations are underway into inappropriate behaviour by activists.","Previous ITV reporting exposed Reform candidates using offensive language, including referring to Black children as 'animals'."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"An undercover investigation by ITV has captured an aspiring Reform UK MP, Jason Powell, suggesting that asylum seekers arriving in Britain should be placed in 'concentration camps'. Powell, who told the reporter he had passed vetting checks to become a Reform parliamentarian, also stated that it is impossible to be both Muslim and British."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Powell's recorded remarks included: 'Anyone who comes across on a boat, as an example, in the first week of [the] election, build concentration camps, and everyone who comes across on the Channel, you’re in there. They just need to be rounded up, every single last one of them, and sent to those concentration camps and then be given an ultimatum.' He also said, 'You cannot be a Muslim and British. It’s like oil and water.'"},{"type":"heading","text":"Reform UK's response"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stated that 'there is no room for racism in Reform' and that the party has opened investigations into cases where activists or members had 'clearly behaved inappropriately'. Reform UK said in a statement that while vetting procedures have been improved, 'one cannot vet a future comment'."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the left-rated, centre-rated, or right-rated reports printed below mention the specific detail from Metro News that Jason Powell stated he had passed vetting checks to become a Reform parliamentarian."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Daily Express","url":"https://express.co.uk/news/politics/2258145/reform-activist-undercover-investigation-itv","headline":"Reform activist says channel migrants 'should be put in concentration camps'","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T20:31:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The National","url":"https://thenational.scot/news/26646752.reform-uk-hopeful-says-muslims-cannot-british-itv-footage","headline":"Undercover footage captures Reform UK hopeful’s ‘concentration camps’ remarks","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:25:25.793Z"},{"sourceName":"Metro News","url":"https://metro.co.uk/2026/10/17/reform-needs-build-concentration-camps-aspiring-mp-admits-undercover-journalist-29717534","headline":"Reform must 'build concentration camps', aspiring MP tells undercover journalist","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:19:28.018Z"},{"sourceName":"Evening Standard","url":"https://standard.co.uk/news/uk/reform-activist-undercover-investigation-asylum-seekers-muslims-b1301306.html","headline":"Reform activist says asylum seekers should be put in 'concentration camps'","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:18:55.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Nation.Cymru","url":"https://nation.cymru/news/undercover-footage-shows-reform-activist-claiming-muslims-cannot-be-british","headline":"Undercover footage shows Reform activist claiming Muslims cannot be British","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:10:30.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Independent","url":"https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-farage-itv-racism-b3068609.html","headline":"Reform activist says asylum seekers should be put in 'concentration camps'","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:00:24.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Independent (US)","url":"https://the-independent.com/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-farage-itv-racism-b3068609.html","headline":"Reform activist says asylum seekers should be put in 'concentration camps'","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:00:24.000Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":67,"centre":16,"right":17},"count":{"left":4,"centre":1,"right":1},"totalSources":7,"untracked":1,"rated":6,"observedAt":"2026-10-18T01:30:23.468224+00:00"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-10-18T02:00:13.235Z","closedAt":null,"checks":7,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":["Four left-rated reports led on the aspiring MP's comments about concentration camps and Muslims not being British. Metro News, in its full report, quoted Powell extensively on both subjects. The National and The Independent (US) also highlighted the 'concentration camps' remarks in their headlines. The Independent (US) and The Independent also mentioned the 'oil and water' comment regarding Muslims and British identity. Metro News also detailed other controversial remarks made by Reform UK councillors, including one who described Black children as 'animals'."],"centre":["The centre-rated Evening Standard's headline focused on the aspiring Reform UK MP's call for asylum seekers to be placed in 'concentration camps'. Its report also included Powell's statement that Muslims cannot be British and quoted Reform UK's response regarding investigations and the absence of racism in the party. The report also noted previous accusations of 'appalling behaviour' and 'extreme racism' within Reform UK."],"right":["The right-rated Daily Express headline stated that a Reform activist said channel migrants 'should be put in concentration camps'. Its digest also noted the aspiring MP's comment that Muslims could not be British."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"right","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"low":1,"mixed":1,"high":3,"unknown":1,"veryHigh":1},"ownershipDistribution":{"mediaConglomerate":2,"billionaire":4,"independent":4,"corporation":2},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"The Independent","url":"https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-farage-itv-racism-b3068609.html","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:00:24.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","count":5},{"country":"Wales, United Kingdom","count":1},{"country":"Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"The Independent","url":"https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-farage-itv-racism-b3068609.html","headline":"Reform activist says asylum seekers should be put in 'concentration camps'","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:00:24.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":"Evening Standard"},{"name":"The Independent (US)","url":"https://the-independent.com/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-farage-itv-racism-b3068609.html","headline":"Reform activist says asylum seekers should be put in 'concentration camps'","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:00:24.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":"Evening Standard"},{"name":"Nation.Cymru","url":"https://nation.cymru/news/undercover-footage-shows-reform-activist-claiming-muslims-cannot-be-british","headline":"Undercover footage shows Reform activist claiming Muslims cannot be British","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:10:30.000Z","leaningSide":null,"leaningRating":"unknown","factualityRating":"unknown","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Wales, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Evening Standard","url":"https://standard.co.uk/news/uk/reform-activist-undercover-investigation-asylum-seekers-muslims-b1301306.html","headline":"Reform activist says asylum seekers should be put in 'concentration camps'","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:18:55.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Metro News","url":"https://metro.co.uk/2026/10/17/reform-needs-build-concentration-camps-aspiring-mp-admits-undercover-journalist-29717534","headline":"Reform must 'build concentration camps', aspiring MP tells undercover journalist","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:19:28.018Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The National","url":"https://thenational.scot/news/26646752.reform-uk-hopeful-says-muslims-cannot-british-itv-footage","headline":"Undercover footage captures Reform UK hopeful’s ‘concentration camps’ remarks","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T19:25:25.793Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Daily Express","url":"https://express.co.uk/news/politics/2258145/reform-activist-undercover-investigation-itv","headline":"Reform activist says channel migrants 'should be put in concentration camps'","publishedAt":"2026-10-17T20:31:00.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"low","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null}]},"assessment":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"Reform UK hopeful calls for 'concentration camps' for asylum seekers\", https://mediabias.news/politics/reform-uk-hopeful-calls-for-concentration-camps-for-asylum-seekers","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/politics/reform-uk-hopeful-calls-for-concentration-camps-for-asylum-seekers","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/politics/reform-uk-hopeful-calls-for-concentration-camps-for-asylum-seekers","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/reform-uk-hopeful-calls-for-concentration-camps-for-asylum-seekers","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/politics/reform-uk-hopeful-calls-for-concentration-camps-for-asylum-seekers.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}