‘Degrading’ comments and conspiracies: The unearthed posts from Reform’s Makerfield candidate
Reform England’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election has faced backlash in recent weeks after a series of offensive comments emerged on social media.
Plumber and local councilor Robert Kenyon, who is standing in the Reform constituency in the 2024 general election, will face Labour’s Andy Burnham in the by-election in the Greater Manchester seat on Thursday.
A series of now-deleted social media posts and comments made by accounts linked to Mr Kenyon on rugby league forums saw him called “unfit to be an MP” and accused of sharing transphobic slurs, Covid-related misinformation and objectifying women.
But Nigel Farage said he had “no regrets” about Reform UK’s candidate and told a press conference earlier this month that the comments were “a few childish things”.
The party leader told reporters: “These comments were published ten years ago. They have been taken wildly out of context, but they are the kind of comments you wouldn’t necessarily get if you were an Oxford-educated career politician living in a nice postcode in London.”
Here we look at the comments that received criticism.
Women ‘cannot referee, drive or give directions’
Independent It found that an account linked to Mr Kenyon wrote that women “can’t make references, drive or give directions” and added: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”
Posts on an online rugby league fan 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 a link 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.
The remarks were made by an account under the username “post” promoting Mr. Kenyon’s book, which other comments say is their Twitter handle @robkenyon1. Blood Waltz.
In a since-deleted post on
Post about Carol Vorderman, slander and conspiracy theories
In posts made between 2020 and 2022 on a now-deleted account
In one post, the account shares a sexually suggestive post sent to Carol Vorderman on her birthday, in which another user declared that he wanted to perform a sexual act on the TV host.
Another user responded to the post: “If you’re prepared to put this on a public forum, I’d suggest your computer drive probably needs to be checked.”
But @robkenyon1 replied: “He’s just saying what we’re all thinking.”
Vorderman condemned the comments: Mirror: “Actually, Rob Kenyon is a misogynist.”
He added: “He’s not just a lad, he’s a disgusting online harasser who became a Reform councilor three weeks ago.”
Another post by the user stated that she was blocked from the Sky Sports Rugby League Twitter page for “saying something about women’s rugby”.
The account has also used transphobic slurs and peddled conspiracy theories about vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic.
To someone who said Covid vaccines “work great”, the account replied: “What nonsense” and compared Australia’s Covid vaccine policies to Nazism.
He also suggested the media was “complicit” in “global tyranny” when responding to a post by far-right Holocaust denier Peter Sweden.
Also reported as: i Paper It emerged that Mr Kenyon had previously described abortion as “a cowardly act of killing a defenseless baby” and elsewhere suggested advocating access to the procedure so that women could “fuck whoever they wanted and have a second chance if they got caught”.
‘Derogatory’ comments about TV presenter and remarks about The Saturdays
Mr Kenyon was also accused of making “derogatory” comments about TV presenter Emma Crosby and a series of comments about girl group The Saturdays. Independent clarified.
Posting on an online rugby fan forum in the 2010s, one user wrote: “On Saturdays I have nothing but a pair of Wigan house socks at the foot of my bed. 2:D Alrilligghhhhttill Giggety giggetty”.
“Giggity giggity” is a catchphrase used by the character Glenn Quagmire in the TV show. Family man and is a slang term used to indicate sexual desire.
A series of posts on an RLFans forum also mentioned “a photo of him wearing nothing but his birthday suit on Saturday”.
“Sorry Ernie, she’s out of GMTV, that’s the new Emma Crosby,” they wrote, adding that “juicy cane aside, they’ve got a tough assistant.”
The user also wrote: “Jessica Ennis……performing!” in an apparent reference to the 1990s US comedy. he wrote. Wayne’s World.
He also compared former Wigan Warriors player Feka Paleaaesina to a “nice girlfriend who’s put on a bit of weight”, adding: “You don’t like them.”
Reacting to the comments, Labor leader Anna Turley wrote: “Robert Kenyon clearly has a problem with women. It’s surprising that Reform tries to dismiss such comments as dressing room talk.”
“He’s not, it’s insulting and totally unacceptable. He’s totally unfit to be the next MP for Makerfield. Women and girls can have no confidence that he’ll stand up for them and he sets a terrible example for men and boys too.”
Russia’s annexation of Crimea
Mr Kenyon said Russia was “within its rights” to invade Crimea, comparing it to Britain’s assertion of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
The reform candidate acknowledged a post describing Moscow’s March 2014 annexation of the peninsula as “democracy in action.” Telegram reported.
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.”
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.
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?”
A Reform England spokesperson said: Independent: “Rob has never publicly supported or approved 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.”
reaction of the reform
Reform sided with the candidate, calling some comments about women “locker room jokes” he made before entering politics.
A party spokesman said: “Council Kenyon made these comments before entering politics. We are confident that he is an excellent candidate who will be an excellent local MP for Makerfield.”
“Rob is not a flashy, professional politician and he doesn’t talk like one. That’s exactly why he will be an outspoken, effective voice for normal working people in Makerfield.”
Appearing on the Makerfield special by-election segment of the BBC’s Question Time program earlier this month, Mr Kenyon admitted he had “made mistakes”.
Responding to a member of the audience who described him as “sexist”, he said: “I won’t accept that label, I mean a lot of the things have been said 15 years ago.
“I threw my hands up, I made mistakes…
“I was raised by a single parent, a widowed grandmother, and an older sister. So I was raised by women.
“I have nothing but respect for women, you know, so I think something that was said 15 years ago was a quote from an old rugby forum, completely taken out of context.
“And like I said, I made mistakes, I said things years ago that I wouldn’t say now, and at that point I just don’t believe it.”
Mr Kenyon added: “I have nothing but respect for women.”
