Nigel Farage has threatened legal action against a firm tasked with vetting Reform UK’s general election candidates.

He claimed his party had been ‘stitched up’ by Vetting.com, following a series of revelations about the online activities of some of Reform’s would-be MPs.

This included one expressing admiration for Hitler’s ‘brilliant’ ability to inspire action, and another suggesting Britain should have remained neutral against the Nazis.

Reform has also been stung by claims about their candidates’ social media links to a British fascist leader.

Mr Farage claimed Colin Bloom, the co-owner of Vetting.com, has ‘very serious questions to answer’ and pointed to his past relationship with the Tories.

Nigel Farage has threatened legal action against a firm tasked with vetting Reform UK’s general election candidates

The Reform leader claimed Colin Bloom, the co-owner of Vetting.com, has ‘very serious questions to answer’ and pointed to his past relationship with the Tories

According to Companies House records, Mr Bloom is a director of Vetting.com and also a part-owner of Sphinx Technology Limited, the firm’s parent company

Reform chairman Richard Tice said: ‘Something feels very wrong and I have instructed lawyers to pursue this matter vigorously’

The Reform leader posted on X/Twitter this afternoon: ‘Reform paid a vetting company £144,000 to carry out candidate checks.

‘Not a single piece of work was delivered. Colin Bloom has links to the Tory party and has very serious questions to answer.

‘Lawyers have been instructed. We do not rule out police action.’

According to Companies House records, Mr Bloom is a director of Vetting.com and also a part-owner of Sphinx Technology Limited, the firm’s parent company. 

Mr Bloom was appointed as a Government faith engagement adviser during Boris Johnson’s spell as prime minister.

He is also a former head of the Conservative Christian Fellowship and, until 2017, was international director of the Conservative Party.

Reform chairman Richard Tice told the Telegraph: ‘A professional vetting company was paid a six-figure sum in April to vet Reform candidates.

‘They promised a deep dive, particularly on social media, and adverse press checks, received our candidate data but then delivered absolutely nothing.

‘Suddenly a round of stories appear in The Times and elsewhere after nominations close, including some stories that are 15 years old.

‘Something feels very wrong and I have instructed lawyers to pursue this matter vigorously.’

Jack Aaron, who is Reform’s candidate in Welwyn Hatfield, was yesterday revealed by The Times to have described Hitler as ‘brilliant’ and ‘able to inspire people to action’ in a social media post in 2022.

He told the newspaper: ‘Yes, Hitler was as brilliant as he was utter evil. How is that controversial to say, given that he was able to turn the Germans to such destructive acts, including killing many members of my own family?

‘I strongly believe, as a psychologist, in separating intelligence and talent from morality, so that we can adequately diagnose problems and help people.’

The Times last week reported that a number of Reform’s parliamentary candidates are ‘friends’ with Gary Raikes, the British fascist leader, on Facebook.

Mr Raikes founded the New British Union (NBU), which has called for a ‘fascist revolution’ and sees parliamentary democracy as an ‘obstruction’ to establishing a dictatorship.

Jack Aaron, who is Reform’s candidate in Welwyn Hatfield, was revealed to have described Hitler as ‘brilliant’ and ‘able to inspire people to action’ in a social media post in 2022 

Ian Gribbin, the Reform candidate in Bexhill and Battle, said in online comments from 2022 that it would have been ‘far better’ for Britain to have ‘taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality’ 

It has been reported that a number of Reform’s parliamentary candidates are ‘friends’ with Gary Raikes, who founded the New British Union, on Facebook

It came after the BBC reported that Ian Gribbin, the Reform candidate in Bexhill and Battle, said in online comments from 2022 that it would have been ‘far better’ for Britain to have ‘taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality’ instead of fighting the Nazis in World War Two.

Speaking to LBC radio this morning, Mr Farage said: ‘Have we had trouble with one or two candidates? Yes, we have.

‘We paid a large sum of money to a well-known vetting company, and they didn’t do the work.

‘We have been stitched up politically, and that’s given us problems. And I accept that and I’m sorry for that.’

A spokesperson for Vetting.com said: ‘Some months ago we approached all the major UK political parties offering our automated background screening services. We were delighted to be asked to help Reform.

‘Everyone’s working assumption was that the election would be in the autumn, giving us the summer to complete this work.

‘Given the explicit need for candidate consent, as well as our systems needing basic personal data like dates of birth, our automated software was not able process Reform’s candidates with the data that was provided when it was provided.

‘We do not intend to litigate this in public, and we send Reform our best wishes as they shake up the UK political landscape.

‘Mr Bloom has not had anything to do with the UK Conservative Party since 2022 and remains politically neutral.’