A SCOTTISH community councillor and member of a far-right group which splintered from the “UK’s most dangerous” nationalist organisation has been accused of “abhorrent racism” after claiming black politicians and footballers are “clearly not” British.
The community councillor from Angus, David Gardner, made comments about UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, Conservative Party leadership candidate, Kemi Badenoch, and England footballers Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka, in a video posted online.
Gardner is a member of Homeland, which formed as a result of a split from the hardline Patriotic Alternative group.
He is also the treasurer of Forfar Community Council and has remained so despite the local body promising a probe after research group Hope Not Hate (HNH) unearthed racist comments he allegedly made online via a pseudonym in 2023.
In one video, Gardner said: "We have to pretend that David Lammy and Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke – that these people are both British, or English, and both the Tories and Labour will tell you that these people are just as British as you, bro. They’re not. They’re clearly not.”
The comments, made in October, also took aim at former first minister, Humza Yousaf, and former prime minister, Rishi Sunak, in a second video.
SNP MP Dave Doogan has previously written to the chief executive of Angus Council, and now, Labour MSP Michael Marra has urged for "swift, decisive action" from the council to "send a clear message that racism will not be tolerated in our communities", while he accused Gardner of "abhorrent racism".
Gardner told The Ferret that his comments were “not about race, but ethnicity and in-group preference”, and accused Labour of “anti-democratic extremism”.
He added that the party attempted to “shut down any debate from anyone daring to voice an opinion in support of the ethnic English, Scots, and Welsh and their right to a homeland”.
In another video, he referenced complaints made because German football manager, Thomas Tuchel, had been appointed England manager. Leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage was one of those who complained.
Gardner said: “Interestingly, none of these people say the same thing about Bukayo Saka, who’s played for us or Eddie Nketiah, or any number of the Africans that are playing for the England team.
“This is ridiculous. Football needs to be, in its current form, resigned to the bin. It saps patriotism and tribalism out of men, and it makes them forget what’s actually going on in the world. They’ll choose not to believe certain things. They’ll choose to go down certain routes because X sports ball player plays for their team.”
A Forfar Community Council spokesperson last year said they were “shocked by the allegation that one of its new members has been associated with a far right organisation”, and promised to investigate.
Gardner further defended his comments, stating: “While the politicians mentioned might be British citizens, that is something they can change on paper at any point. It is not racist to note that Badenoch, Lammy, Sunak, and Yousaf all have origins in ethnic groups that are not native to these isles, and that they have ALL worked in the interests of those ethnic groups.
“We have elected them to represent us and our interests, not the interests of people half a world away at our expense".
