The founder of a community group in Greater Manchester has called on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to apologise after an unannounced visit by him and his campaign team to a cafe supporting young adults with additional needs.
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The dispute arose during campaigning in Makerfield, where Farage and members of the Reform UK team stopped at a cafe operated by Hamlet Wigan CIC for tea and to use the toilets.
At the time, the venue was hosting a celebration for trainees who had completed their gold Duke of Edinburgh awards. Around a dozen young people attended the event, alongside Andy Burnham, who has long supported the organisation.
Concerns Over Visit
Gemma Crompton, director of the Hamlet, later wrote to Farage describing the visit as “intimidating and overwhelming” for trainees, staff and families.
She said the arrival of a large group, including security staff and media crews, created distress at what had been intended as a private celebration event.
Crompton said the organisation welcomed visitors from all political backgrounds but objected to the way the visit was handled. In her letter, she requested a formal apology and assurances that similar incidents involving organisations supporting vulnerable people would not happen again.
She also accused members of the visiting group of filming and taking photographs without permission, despite requests for media activity to stop once staff became aware of it.
Political Row
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said the stop had been spontaneous and non-political, describing it as a quick visit for “a cuppa” and to use the toilet facilities.
Anderson questioned why the complaint had been made, saying Crompton had spoken with the group during the visit, posed for photographs and thanked them before they left.
The incident also led to criticism of Burnham after reports suggested he reacted sharply when approached by a journalist accompanying Farage’s team. According to reports, Burnham said campaigners should not enter a venue like the Hamlet unannounced.
Burnham has previously supported the organisation, including attending the opening of its new buildings in 2023. Crompton stressed, however, that the Duke of Edinburgh celebration “was not intended to be a political event or a platform for campaigning”.
Video Response
Following Anderson’s comments, Crompton posted a video online while visiting Buckingham Palace with trainees attending the Duke of Edinburgh celebrations.
In the video, she contrasted Burnham’s attendance with the Reform visit, saying the mayor had arrived alone and without media crews.
She alleged that a group of at least 15 people connected to Reform UK entered the cafe and immediately began filming and taking photographs. Crompton said no consent had been given for the cafe to be used in a political context.
Burnham later backed the organisation’s criticism, saying those involved should “hold their hands up and apologise”.
Reform UK denied the visit had been political. In a statement responding to Crompton’s letter, the party said the stop had been made “in good faith and without political motivation”.
The party also disputed claims that wider filming or photography had taken place, although it acknowledged that staff members had taken selfies with Farage and Reform candidate Robert Kenyon. Reform said some young adults at the cafe had spoken with Farage and shaken his hand.
The statement added that the tone of Crompton’s letter gave the impression it had been politically influenced.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 23 May 2026
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