From 24 Mar 2026'Good start, but some way to go' - Labour and Lib Dems give qualified welcome to Reform UK suspending Chris ParryBen QuinnBen Quinn is a Guardian political correspondent.Reform UK has confirmed that that it has suspended Chris Parry as its Hampshire mayoral candidate after he described members of a Jewish neighbourhood watch group as “cosplayers” and likened them to “Islamists on horseback”. (See 1.53pm.)A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Chris Parry has been suspended by Reform UK pending investigation.” His candidacy has also been suspended by the party.When contacted by the Guardian earlier after Hampshire Live quoted a Reform UK spokesman as saying he was no longer the party’s candidate, Parry said that he was “mid-Atlantic.”The Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson had called on Farage earlier in the day to drop Parry. He later said : “This is a good start, but Farage has some way to go. There are serious questions to answer as to how this candidate got approved in the first place.”Calvin Bailey, a Labour MP who wrote to Nigel Farage about previous comments attributed to Parry, including calling female MPs “harpies”, said: “It should not take repeated incidents for basic standards of decency to be upheld.”Key events24 Mar 2026Afternoon summary24 Mar 2026Reform UK calls on Football Association to drop its diversity strategy, calling it 'inherently racist'24 Mar 2026Regulator welcomes plan to make it easier for doctors to be struck off for racist behaviour24 Mar 2026'Good start, but some way to go' - Labour and Lib Dems give qualified welcome to Reform UK suspending Chris Parry24 Mar 2026Chris Bryant says 'complexities' in paperwork explain why Andrew trade envoy documents have not yet been published24 Mar 2026Resolution Foundation welcomes confirmation energy support package to be targeted24 Mar 2026Labour-run Wandsworth council warned of ‘potential to mislead’ by statistics watchdog over frozen tax claim24 Mar 2026Plaid Cymru says energy support package just targeted to help poorer families won't be fair to Wales24 Mar 2026Reeves asks officials to review whether some tariffs could be reduced to cut costs of food24 Mar 2026Scottish voters more likely to have noticed SNP scandals than the policies they like, poll suggests24 Mar 2026Polanski urges Reeves to freeze rents, as proposed in Spain, in response to rising energy costs24 Mar 2026Reform UK reportedly drops Chris Parry as mayoral candidate after 'Islamists on horseback' comment about Jewish group24 Mar 2026Reeves says richest third of families got more than third of money under Tories' energy support scheme24 Mar 2026Reeves claims she will have data available to run targeted support scheme, unlike Tories who had not prepared for that24 Mar 2026Tories accuse Labour of 'no consistency', saying Starmer backed universal energy support packge when in opposition24 Mar 2026Reeves confirms contingency planning for energy support package under way, and insists it would be fairer than Tories' version24 Mar 2026Reeves says government will ensure CMA has powers it needs to crack down on price gouging24 Mar 2026Reeves announces indemnities for critical energy security projects, to reduce planning delays24 Mar 2026Rachel Reeves makes statement to MPs about economic impact of Iran war24 Mar 2026Ed Davey launches Lib Dems' local elections campaign24 Mar 2026Farage urged to sack Reform UK mayoral candidate who likened Jewish community group to 'Islamists on horseback'24 Mar 2026Farage says Reform UK would repeal law intended to ban younger generations from ever being able to buy cigarettes24 Mar 2026Labour was wrong to block Burnham from being candidate in Gorton and Denton, Lisa Nandy says24 Mar 2026Ed Davey attacks Reform UK for wanting to copy 'Trump's nasty politics'24 Mar 2026Targeted energy support package 'most efficient use of public money', minister says24 Mar 2026Ministers rebuff trade body’s call to boost North Sea oil and gas production24 Mar 2026No fuel shortage in Britain, says minister, as Reeves prepares to set out economic response to Iran warShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureAfternoon summary