Reform UK has backed one of its county council election candidates in Leicestershire after local Conservatives called for him to be suspended over a racist comment he posted on Facebook in 2013.

The remark, by Coalville North candidate Elliott Allman, accused black drivers of tailgating on the M1 and was re-posted by the X account Reform Party UK Exposed on 2 April.

Mr Allman responded on the same platform, saying: “Fail to see your point. What it shows is a fantastic maturing and development stage. I’m glad you’ve highlighted this to me. It reminds me of how far I’ve come.”

Reform UK said it was confident Mr Allman’s views had matured since the post.

Last week WhatsApp messages – labelled as being from the Reform UK North West Leicestershire branch’s group chat – were posted by the same X account.

In them, one contributor suggested Mr Allman could respond to the social media reaction by having his photo taken with a black friend.

“I always have a black mate to pull out my back pocket,” the comment said.

It led to a statement from Leicestershire Conservatives, saying they had submitted a formal complaint to Reform UK.

They called on the party to “suspend the member involved while they carry out a full investigation into the apparent widespread racism within their North West Leicestershire branch”.

In response, in a statement, Reform UK said: “Mr Allman’s comments were made over 12 years ago. We are confident that he and his views have matured and changed since.”

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage previously said in September candidates for the 2025 local elections would be “vetted” following a number of controversies during the general election.

The BBC has also contacted Mr Allman for comment. He continues his election campaigning.