The director of a cafe in Wigan that supports adults with additional needs has expressed her "deep disappointment" over a visit by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and local candidate Robert Kenyon, accusing the party of creating an "intimidating" atmosphere for vulnerable trainees.
Gemma Crompton, who runs The Hamlet Wigan Community Interest Company (CIC), said the unannounced arrival of the campaign team—accompanied by a large entourage, security personnel, and media crews—overwhelmed trainees, families, and staff. The visit occurred while Labour mayoral candidate Andy Burnham was also on site for a non-political celebration of Duke of Edinburgh Award recipients and a new lease agreement with Wigan Council.
In a letter shared publicly by Burnham and verified by the BBC, Crompton emphasized that the cafe has clear signage prohibiting photography or filming of trainees. She requested a formal apology and assurances that similar incidents would not happen to other organizations supporting vulnerable people.
Reform UK responded with a letter of their own, calling the visit "completely ad hoc and non-political," and suggesting Crompton's criticism might be "politically influenced." The party claimed staff had taken selfies with Farage and that no photographers captured images on the premises. Reform also noted that young adults engaged positively with Farage, shaking his hand.
Burnham accused Reform of being "out of order" for entering the space unannounced, while Reform insisted they simply "popped in for a cup of tea" unaware Burnham was present. The row comes ahead of the June 18 Makerfield by-election, where Burnham is running for Labour and Kenyon for Reform UK.