Russia ‘within their rights’ to take Crimea, Reform’s Makerfield by-election candidate said as he compared it to Falklands
Reform Britain’s candidate in the upcoming Makerfield by-election said Russia was “within its rights” to invade Crimea and compared it to Britain’s claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
In the latest social media comment to emerge from Robert Kenyon, who is running against Labor’s Andy Burnham in the Greater Manchester constituency on June 18, the Reform candidate was joining a post describing Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula in March 2014 as “an act of democracy”: Telegram reports.
In an online forum in March 2014, Mr. Kenyon shared a post titled “Western hypocrisy on sin bin Ukraine,” with one member writing: “The people of Crimea want to be in Russia, for me that is democracy in action.
“The government should work for the people, not the other way around. The people spoke and got what they wanted. The Falklands and Gibraltar want to remain British, so be it.”
Accordingly TelegramResponding to the post, Mr Kenyon said: “I totally agree, Russia has every right to do what they do, just like we did to the Falklands. But will Latvia be next?”
Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea on March 18, 2014 was recognized internationally only by countries such as North Korea and Sudan.
Crimea had been part of Ukraine for 60 years when Russia annexed it.
Russia’s relations with the West fell to new lows after the annexation, with the United States, the European Union and other countries imposing sanctions on Moscow and its officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to take back the region and said Russia cannot “steal” the peninsula.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: Independent:“At no point did Rob publicly support or approve of Russia’s actions in Crimea.
“He is completely opposed to Russia’s illegal and brutal occupation of Ukraine.
“We fully support Councilor Kenyon. He is an excellent, local candidate who we are confident will be an excellent MP for Makerfield.”
Mr Kenyon was also accused of making “derogatory” comments about women in another series of online posts that have resurfaced.
One account linked to him wrote that women “can’t make references, drive or give directions” and declared: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”
Posts on an online rugby fans forum in the 2010s objectified the bodies of European women, saying British women “don’t care” and are “walking around pushing strollers in their pajamas as 16-year-olds with their fat bellies and weird shapes”.
The user also said on an RLFans forum: “European women all have really good bodies and look good” and responded to a post with links to images of women: “Can’t save me from any of the bazookas.”
Responding to a debate about women presenting matches on Sky in 2019, they wrote: “The women on the panel are not up to the job and are just there to tick a box” and said female super league players were “nowhere near the standard” for commentating on games.
These remarks were made by an account under the username ‘post’; That account, in other comments, says their Twitter handle is @robkenyon1 and promotes Mr. Kenyon’s book The Blood Waltz.
In a since-deleted post on
A spokesman for Reform UK did not dispute the resurfaced comments, instead describing them as “locker room jokes”.
The comments came days after other offensive X posts were highlighted by campaign group Hope Not Hate. Social media posts linked to Mr Kenyon have resurfaced, accusing him of sharing transphobic slurs and Covid-related misinformation.
In a since-deleted post on X, @robkenyon1 shared a suggestive post sent to Carol Vorderman on her birthday; In this post, another user declared that he wanted to perform a sexual act on the presenter, adding: “He’s just saying what we’re all thinking.”
Mr Kenyon, who was born in the constituency and now works as a freelance plumber, stood in the 2024 general election and came second with 31.8 per cent of the vote.
