Nigel Farage has already faced multiple calls to sack Parry over his remarks
Reform’s Hampshire and Solent mayoral candidate, Chris Parry, is under fire again for making “unacceptable” comments suggesting non-Christians should eat ‘bacon’ to prove the ‘sincerity’ of their conversion to Christianity.
As reported by the Mirror, in October, Parry shared a Telegraph article that claimed asylum seekers were being baptised in hotel bathtubs to help them gain asylum.
Commenting on the article on X, Dr Parry wrote in October: “People from other religions should eat bacon for a month to prove their Christian sincerity and credentials.”
In another post from October, Dr Parry shared an image of a microwave with a sign on it reading: “Due to religion reasons, this microwave is for Halaal food only.”
The ex-Royal Navy Admiral replied to a comment asking users what they’d put in the microwave, saying: “Sausages.” While some sausages comply with Islamic dietary laws, pork is forbidden.
In a separate post in November, Dr Parry again called for Christian converts to eat pork for a month.
He was commenting on a story about Dame Sarah Mullally, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, who encouraged churches to continue baptising asylum seekers, despite concerns that some are converting to Christianity merely to help them remain in the UK.
She insisted that churches are “not naive” and should not feel anxious about baptising asylum seekers.
In response, Parry said: “If you are naive, you don’t make it to the top of the Church of England mafia. As I’ve said before, potential converts should have to eat bacon and sausages for a month before being accepted for baptism.”
Nigel Farage has already faced calls to sack Parry, after he said in a comment on social media that the justice secretary David Lammy should “go home” to the Caribbean, saying this is where his “loyalties lie”.
Parry made the comment in response to Lammy saying he was “open” to having slavery reparations talks with former British colonies. Parry refused to apologise for his comments.
It later transpired that Parry has targeted at least eight other politicians who are not white, stating that they don’t have a “primary loyalty” to the UK.
Anna Turley, Chair of the Labour Party, told the Mirror: “These views are completely unacceptable from anyone, let alone from someone standing for public office.
“Given Nigel Farage has refused to sack Chris Parry for over two weeks now, it seems clear that he’s happy for someone with appalling racist and other utterly appalling views to represent Reform UK.”
Turley added that “It just shows Farage is completely unfit for office”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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