Speaker at Reform UK conference links Covid vaccines to royal cancers; critics urge Farage to sever ties

A speaker at Reform UK's conference in Birmingham on Saturday told delegates that Covid‑19 vaccines could have been "a factor" in cancers affecting members of the British royal family, prompting calls for the party's prominent backer Nigel Farage to sever ties with the speaker.

Cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra, who has previously voiced scepticism about Covid vaccines, told the audience that he had discussed the issue with oncologist Professor Angus Dalgleish and that "it may be a risk factor for cancer." Quoting what he said were Dalgleish's views, Malhotra added: "It's highly likely that the Covid vaccines have been a factor, a significant factor, in the cancer of members of the royal family."

Malhotra also told the audience he had seen "hundreds of studies" that showed harmful effects from mRNA vaccines and described himself as a friend of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The claims were met with immediate criticism from health commentators and campaigners who said Farage should "sever all ties" with the speaker and with Reform UK for providing a platform to what they described as unsubstantiated assertions.

King Charles III has been receiving cancer treatment since January 2024 and the Princess of Wales has returned to public duties after undergoing treatment and being described as in remission. Officials and medical authorities have repeatedly said there is no credible evidence linking authorised Covid‑19 vaccines to the development of cancer in recipients.

Public health agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. National Cancer Institute have previously rejected claims that Covid vaccines cause cancer or "turbo cancers," and many oncologists and academics have criticised accounts that rely on small, retracted or otherwise discredited studies. Independent experts said such allegations risk undermining confidence in vaccines that remain a core tool in preventing severe illness and death from Covid‑19.

There was no immediate public response from Nigel Farage or a Reform UK spokesperson to requests for comment on Malhotra's appearance or comments at the conference. The speech forms part of an ongoing debate in some political and media circles about vaccine safety, in which scientists and regulators say claims should be examined through peer‑reviewed research and established pharmacovigilance systems rather than anecdote or selective citation of studies.

Malhotra rose to prominence during the pandemic as a high‑profile critic of Covid vaccination policy and has been associated with other figures who question mainstream public health guidance. Medical and public‑health bodies stress that authorised Covid‑19 vaccines underwent rigorous testing and continue to be monitored for safety, and that causal links to new‑onset cancer have not been established in large‑scale, peer‑reviewed research.

The debate at the Reform UK event underlines the tensions between political platforms and scientific consensus on health matters, with public‑health experts warning that assertions made without robust evidence can contribute to confusion and harm public confidence in proven interventions.