Reform UK is investigating whether sexist comments made by its candidate in the Makerfield byelection may have damaged the party's prospects, after Nigel Farage acknowledged the outcome was disappointing.
Burnham's Landslide Victory
Andy Burnham secured 55% of the vote in a contest that Reform had anticipated would be a tight race between the Labour leadership hopeful and its own candidate, local plumber Robert Kenyon. However, Burnham's victory was emphatic, with a margin of over 9,000 votes.
Voter Concerns Over Candidate's Posts
Canvassers from various parties reported that voters, particularly women, were put off by sexist and lewd social media posts made by Kenyon, which came to light during the campaign. One Reform activist stated that the party had advised Kenyon not to apologize for the remarks, saying, "That's something that was not his fault, it was how he was advised."
The issue gained traction when TV presenter Carol Vorderman demanded an apology from Kenyon after he participated in a graphic online discussion about her, using since-deleted posts. A Reform source admitted, "I will admit that the Vorderman stuff did not help us."
Farage's Reaction
Despite the setback, Farage highlighted the challenge of taking on a well-known figure like Burnham, even in a constituency demographically favorable to Reform. He noted that Kenyon increased his vote share by 2.7 percentage points compared to 2024. The party was also encouraged by Rupert Lowe's Restore UK securing just under 7% of the vote, less than some predictions.
In a video message, Farage urged Restore supporters to back Reform, stating, "We are the challenger party to the left in this country." He described Burnham's win as "dramatic, emphatic" and admitted that Reform had been "slightly hoist with our own petard" by facing a Labour candidate whose implicit message was that a vote for him was a vote to remove Keir Starmer.
Impact of Personal Factors
Burnham's personal standing in Greater Manchester, where he has been mayor since 2017, appeared to be a significant factor, along with Kenyon's controversial comments. Kenyon did not apologize but instead portrayed them as evidence of being an ordinary person rather than a professional politician.
Shift to Hard-Right Policies
Despite Restore's modest showing, Farage is concerned about losing votes to a party with openly racist rhetoric. In response, Reform has adopted a more hard-right and nativist approach in recent weeks. Farage has argued that white people face the most racism in a "two-tier state" and has pushed for stricter migration policies targeting EU nationals with settled status.
Under proposed Reform policies, EU nationals could be barred from social housing and become more expensive for companies to employ. Farage concluded his message, "A disappointing morning, but we keep going."
