Reform promotes councillor linked to genocidal WhatsApp group

Tom Pickup is one of Reform UK’s Lancashire County councillors. In November 2025, he was exposed for being a member of a WhatsApp group which was calling for genocide against Muslims. In February, the party quietly reinstated him, and has now promoted him to a new position:

He’s also reactivated his account. Blocked us of course because @TomPickup is a bigoted snowflake. pic.twitter.com/GOxtVGdrkQ

— Reform Party UK Exposed 🇬🇧 (@reformexposed) June 3, 2026

Reform — “Tactical”

Comments in the WhatsApp group Pickup was a member of included:

• Calls for a “mass Islam genocide”.
• The suggestion that Keir Starmer “needs a fucking bullet”.

Pickup made unsavoury contributions of his own, replying to a comment that Starmer is a “DICKtator” by responding he was a “dicktaker”. When questioned on this, Pickup said:

99% of what occurs in groups, I don’t see. Based on my involvement in it and what I have seen, I’ve been my usual jokey self and it’s been twisted out of context.

Regardless of whether he meant it, you ideally want councillors to be mature enough to not think calling someone ‘gay’ is the height of hilarity.

Pickup also said:

Everyone in Reform is a lot more hardline on immigration than is typically stated publicly, to get a majority government we have to be tactical.

This is something we all know to be true, of course. It’s obvious in the sort of political candidates Reform attracts, as we’ve reported:

• Reform candidate suggests ‘melting Nigerians’ to fill potholes.
• Calls for Reform candidate who praised rape of Sikh women to face suspension.
• Another Reform candidate praises Oswald Moseley — A rite of party initiation?
• Reform activist said ‘Hitler was right’.
• Reform welcomes ‘shoot the p*kis’ scandal ex-Tory.

Pickup returns

As Blog Preston have reported, Pickup’s suspension ended in February following an apology from the councillor. Pickup will be the cabinet member for adult social care, which has proven to be a controversial position. As Blog Preston noted:

During County Cllr Dalton’s year-long stint at the top table at County Hall, he led a controversial review into the future of five county council-run care homes and five day centres, amid concern over the poor condition of their buildings. The potential closure of the services sparked protests and petitions – although the authority insisted no pre-determined decisions had been made.

Following a public consultation – during which the cabinet member urged respondents to “be emotional” in making the case for the facilities in their existing form – it was ultimately decided all of the homes would remain open, along with the three day centres that are currently operational.

Reform’s threat to close down local care homes attracted significant controversy, with protests taking place in the city of Preston:

Position of power

Despite his denials, it’s a fact that Pickup was in a group calling for the most extreme form of violence against Muslims. Now, the man will be in a position of power over elderly Muslims who live in Lancashire’s already-underfunded care homes.

It’s far from a desirable situation, and it shows Reform UK doesn’t care if constituents trust the party to keep them safe.

Featured image via Nigel Roddis (Getty Images)