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When a Reform UK social media account posted an AI-edited video falsely suggesting that Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson called Nigel Farage a “stupid c**t” in the House of Commons, it was more than a dirty trick.
It was a stark warning.
The clip — which bore the watermark of Vizard.AI, a tool that turns long-form videos into short, captioned clips for social media — went out on April 30 via the Reform UK Spen Valley X (formerly Twitter) account.
It racked up nearly 100,000 views.
In it, Wilkinson is seen sitting behind Farage during a Commons speech.
Subtitles falsely suggest Wilkinson is muttering abuse — a claim he strongly denies, and one that has no basis in the official Parliamentary record.
What followed was as predictable as it was disturbing: a wave of threats, abuse and violent messages directed at Wilkinson and his office.
Some threatened to “track him down” near Parliament.
In this febrile political climate — still reeling from the murders of Jo Cox in 2016 and Sir David Amess in 2021 — these are not idle concerns.
They are dangerous warning signs.
Just click on the image, make your donation,
and provide your details!
A post seen by 100,000. An apology seen by 600.
Two weeks after the original post, Reform UK’s local account deleted the video and posted a half-hearted apology.
But this belated “clarification” was seen by fewer than 600 people.
So let’s be clear: more than 99,400 more people saw a lie than saw the retraction.
This is how disinformation works in the age of AI.
A misleading video, cut and captioned with high engagement in mind, spreads rapidly.
A quiet “oops, our bad” afterwards changes nothing.
The damage is already done — reputationally, personally, and politically.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Trumpian tactics, British consequences
Max Wilkinson, who serves as the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), raised the matter in Parliament, calling it “misinformation”, “fake news”, and “Trumpian tactics.” He’s absolutely right.
Let’s not forget: this came from an official Reform UK account, using their branding and platform.
Whether or not the party’s national leadership directly approved it, they own it.
This is their digital infrastructure, their political ecosystem.
And what is the message their online supporters are getting?
That it’s okay to lie.
That it’s fine to incite abuse.
That truth is optional — especially if it gets clicks.
This is the same party that recently faced widespread condemnation for another video — one that falsely claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar wanted to “prioritise the Pakistani community.”
That video was described by political leaders across parties as “blatantly racist.”
It’s no longer a question of “one bad post.”
It’s a pattern.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Platforms failing to act — again
The Liberal Democrats reported the video to X, but no action was taken.
This comes despite the Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to swiftly remove illegal content once reported.
Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, responded: “We’re concerned to hear about Max Wilkinson MP’s experience.”
But concern, without enforcement, is toothless.
If a platform like X can ignore these threats with impunity, what does that say about the state of our digital protections?
Let’s not forget that X is owned by Elon Musk, whose stewardship has increasingly leaned toward deregulation, even if that means enabling harmful content.
Just click on the image, make your donation,
and provide your details!
We’ve seen where this leads
The public discourse around MPs is already toxic.
The weaponisation of AI-generated or edited content to smear politicians — especially in ways that stir up real-world threats — is not just irresponsible.
It’s a threat to democracy itself.
We cannot afford to shrug this off as “just online stuff.”
We’ve seen where it ends — in vigils and funerals.
If Reform UK wants to be taken seriously, it must show it can behave seriously.
That means rooting out this behaviour from its ranks, publicly correcting misinformation with the same energy it used to spread it, and treating the consequences of political smears as the life-threatening issues they are.
Until then, no one should believe their claims to stand for “decency” or “free speech.”
Because free speech does not include the freedom to lie, incite threats, and then retreat into silence when called out.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
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If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Reform UK’s AI fakery and the dangerous cost of digital smears
Share this post:
When a Reform UK social media account posted an AI-edited video falsely suggesting that Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson called Nigel Farage a “stupid c**t” in the House of Commons, it was more than a dirty trick.
It was a stark warning.
The clip — which bore the watermark of Vizard.AI, a tool that turns long-form videos into short, captioned clips for social media — went out on April 30 via the Reform UK Spen Valley X (formerly Twitter) account.
It racked up nearly 100,000 views.
In it, Wilkinson is seen sitting behind Farage during a Commons speech.
Subtitles falsely suggest Wilkinson is muttering abuse — a claim he strongly denies, and one that has no basis in the official Parliamentary record.
What followed was as predictable as it was disturbing: a wave of threats, abuse and violent messages directed at Wilkinson and his office.
Some threatened to “track him down” near Parliament.
In this febrile political climate — still reeling from the murders of Jo Cox in 2016 and Sir David Amess in 2021 — these are not idle concerns.
They are dangerous warning signs.
Just click on the image, make your donation,
and provide your details!
A post seen by 100,000. An apology seen by 600.
Two weeks after the original post, Reform UK’s local account deleted the video and posted a half-hearted apology.
But this belated “clarification” was seen by fewer than 600 people.
So let’s be clear: more than 99,400 more people saw a lie than saw the retraction.
This is how disinformation works in the age of AI.
A misleading video, cut and captioned with high engagement in mind, spreads rapidly.
A quiet “oops, our bad” afterwards changes nothing.
The damage is already done — reputationally, personally, and politically.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Trumpian tactics, British consequences
Max Wilkinson, who serves as the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), raised the matter in Parliament, calling it “misinformation”, “fake news”, and “Trumpian tactics.” He’s absolutely right.
Let’s not forget: this came from an official Reform UK account, using their branding and platform.
Whether or not the party’s national leadership directly approved it, they own it.
This is their digital infrastructure, their political ecosystem.
And what is the message their online supporters are getting?
That it’s okay to lie.
That it’s fine to incite abuse.
That truth is optional — especially if it gets clicks.
This is the same party that recently faced widespread condemnation for another video — one that falsely claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar wanted to “prioritise the Pakistani community.”
That video was described by political leaders across parties as “blatantly racist.”
It’s no longer a question of “one bad post.”
It’s a pattern.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Platforms failing to act — again
The Liberal Democrats reported the video to X, but no action was taken.
This comes despite the Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to swiftly remove illegal content once reported.
Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, responded: “We’re concerned to hear about Max Wilkinson MP’s experience.”
But concern, without enforcement, is toothless.
If a platform like X can ignore these threats with impunity, what does that say about the state of our digital protections?
Let’s not forget that X is owned by Elon Musk, whose stewardship has increasingly leaned toward deregulation, even if that means enabling harmful content.
Just click on the image, make your donation,
and provide your details!
We’ve seen where this leads
The public discourse around MPs is already toxic.
The weaponisation of AI-generated or edited content to smear politicians — especially in ways that stir up real-world threats — is not just irresponsible.
It’s a threat to democracy itself.
We cannot afford to shrug this off as “just online stuff.”
We’ve seen where it ends — in vigils and funerals.
If Reform UK wants to be taken seriously, it must show it can behave seriously.
That means rooting out this behaviour from its ranks, publicly correcting misinformation with the same energy it used to spread it, and treating the consequences of political smears as the life-threatening issues they are.
Until then, no one should believe their claims to stand for “decency” or “free speech.”
Because free speech does not include the freedom to lie, incite threats, and then retreat into silence when called out.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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