Reform councillor appears at rally with neo-Nazi guest speaker

A Reform UK councillor in Kent has been identified in photos taken at a far-right anti-immigration rally where the guest speaker was a prominent neo-Nazi.

Paul Chamberlain, a councillor for Herne Bay East, has been identified in photographs taken at the Kent Nationalist Movement demonstration last weekend, raising serious questions about his potential links to extremist figures.

Not only is Chamberlain a county councillor, but he also holds a senior position within the local authority, serving as Deputy Cabinet Member for Local Government Efficiency and Local Government Reorganisation at Kent County Council. 

Reform county councillor, Paul Chamberlain

As reported by Searchlight, the Kent Nationalist Movement demonstration was organised by Harry Hilden and Dean Phillpott, both of whom have promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Phillpott wore a “Goyim Lives Matter” T-shirt, while Hilden blamed immigration on a supposed conspiracy “orchestrated by Zionists”.

Goyim Lives Matter is a catchphrase used by neo-Nazi groups to claim that Jewish people hold outsized control over governments. 

Neo-Nazi Ryan Turner was a guest speaker at the event. 

Turner was deported from Australia earlier this year over his alleged membership of neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network.

At the event, supporters shouted “White Power!” and “Hail Victory!”, the English translation of “Sieg Heil”.

Searchlight noted that it is possible Chamberlain wasn’t aware of the neo-Nazi individuals involved in organising the event.

However, his only comment since the rally so far was in a Facebook post, where he said: “My overwhelming feeling about yesterday is that it’s time we had a proper grown up conversation about immigration”.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward