A Reform UK candidate has defended saying Adolf Hitler was “brilliant” at inspiring people into action.
Jack Aaron is standing for the right wing party in an attempt to oust Grant Shapps the secretary of defence in Welwyn Hatfield.
Mr Aaron, describes himself as a business psychologist and founder of the World Socionics Society a pseudoscientific theory that promotes 16 personality types.
In Twitter/X post from 2022, Mr Aaron said Hitler was “brilliant in using Fe+Ni [socionics personality traits] to inspire people into action” while condemning his “basically incoherent […] writing and rationale”.
In other comments he called Syrian dictator President Assad “gentle by nature” and President Putin’s use of force in Ukraine was “legitimate”.
He told The Times: “Yes, Hitler was as brilliant as he was utter evil. How is that controversial to say, given that he was able to turn the Germans to such destructive acts, including killing many members of my own family?
“I strongly believe, as a psychologist, in separating intelligence and talent from morality, so that we can adequately diagnose problems and help people.”
He added it would be a “grossly irresponsible and frankly malicious type of journalism, a dog whistle presented in a context where people might construe I thought he was a good or admirable man, which I don’t think.
“By no means am I saying Hitler or Putin or al-Assad are good people that we should admire. They range from the absolutely ingenious evil to wannabe warlord to weak man born into a brutal regime of death and destruction.”
Last year, on Reddit, he said that Assad was “gentle by nature” and not “some bloodthirsty tyrant who exercises control over his people with an iron fist”.
He also said the dictator had been “led astray” by social stereotyping.
On his Reform UK profile he says: “With an increasing malaise in our country over what the future brings, I feel it is time to bring a change.
“Not the endless march of social progress which has left many feeling lost and abandoned by the times, but a restoration of what is great and good about England and the United Kingdom at large.”
It came after another Reform UK candidate said the UK “should have accepted Hitler’s offer of neutrality” was dismissed as “ordinary” pub talk by Nigel Farage.
Ian Gribbin, standing for Reform in Bexhill and Battle, also wrote online that women were the “sponging gender” and should be “deprived of health care” in comments reportedly made on the UnHerd website.
Mr Farage, Reform’s leader, blamed Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap election for 4 July for not being able to properly vet candidates.
The Reform leader said he was not able to deselect Mr Gribbin because the legal deadline had passed for putting prospective MPs on the ballot paper, before declining to say whether he still backed the candidate.
