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Reform UK's selection of Addy Mo Asaduzzaman, a 23-year-old British Bangladeshi man, to contest the Central Southsea ward in the forthcoming Portsmouth City Council elections has triggered a sharp backlash among some of the party's followers, forcing the local leadership to mount a staunch defence of its candidate.
Significantly, despite the candidate being an immigrant himself, many Bangladeshis have criticized his move—running for the UK's most hardline anti-immigrant party, which is currently leading in opinion polls—labelling him an opportunist.
Mr. Asaduzzaman, who holds indefinite leave to remain in the UK, was announced as the prospective councillor on Monday. Despite meeting all legal requirements—as individuals with indefinite leave to remain or eligible Commonwealth citizens are permitted to stand for election as a councillor or MP—the decision drew immediate fire on social media.
Some online comments were highly critical of the choice, including one stating, "non-brits should not be allowed to stand, and Reform should not be endorsing this." Another critic wrote, "This is why Reform is not the solution to fixing our countries problems. No foreigner should hold any position of power in this country," with some users indicating they were reassessing their support for the party. The abuse escalated with one comment expressing a desire not to have "foreign born people standing up for their native community in the UK."
Councillor George Madgwick, who crossed the floor to Reform UK in July and now leads the party's group in the city, strongly condemned the wave of criticism. He publicly described the comments as "frankly disgusting" and labelled the abuse directed at his candidate as "appalling."
Mr. Asaduzzaman’s personal journey was a key point of discussion. He originally came to the UK on a student visa and, according to his Facebook profile, completed a Masters in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Portsmouth. He told the BBC he was proud to call Portsmouth his home and, as a "legal resident had worked hard to build a life here."
In a statement contrasting his legal entry with the crisis of illegal immigration, Mr. Asaduzzaman asserted, "I find it insulting to see people breaking into the UK and immediately being put up in free accommodation, receiving allowances, working illegally and accessing free education while I have done everything the right way."
Councillor Madgwick has vigorously defended the selection, arguing that Mr. Asaduzzaman embodies the very model of immigration Reform UK wishes to champion. "This is the kind of migration we want, people who pay to come here, who are educated, who work full time and pay taxes, people who integrate and help the community," he said. He further believes the selection serves to reaffirm the party’s stance as the true antithesis to the "far right."
While the legal eligibility is clear, the selection has highlighted internal tensions within the party's support base regarding its stance on immigration and national identity.
The contest will be for the Central Southsea seat, currently held by the Labour Party, with Portsmouth City Council elections scheduled for May 2026, where a third of the seats will be contested.
