Reform UK's candidate for the Makerfield by-election, Robert Kenyon, has faced criticism after it emerged he grew up and attended primary school in Merseyside, despite the party claiming he was 'born and bred' in the constituency.
A former neighbour of Kenyon expressed irritation at the claim, pointing out that Kenyon actually lived in the village of Haydock, which is part of the St Helens North constituency. Electoral roll records obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service show Kenyon was registered to vote at a family home on the Grange Valley estate in Haydock between 2006 and 2014.
Outgoing Makerfield MP Josh Simons, who announced his resignation earlier this month to make way for Andy Burnham, criticised Kenyon. 'Don't trust Robert Kenyon. He is not a man of his word,' Simons told The Mirror. 'Kenyon calls himself Mr Makerfield. Turns out, he grew up in Merseyside. He raves about being straight talking, but hides from the press and reads from a script. He claims to protect our women, but he routinely disrespects and degrades women.'
On Wednesday, Kenyon, who was recently elected as a councillor for Wigan Council, did not attend the first full council meeting since the local elections, sending his apologies instead. Simons remarked: 'He couldn't even be bothered to turn up to his first Council meeting. Robert Kenyon is an angry, bitter man.'
It is understood that Kenyon attended English Martyrs Catholic Primary School in Haydock, which is located within the St Helens constituency, adjacent to Makerfield. Campaign literature announcing his bid for parliament stated that he was 'born and bred in Makerfield where he is self-employed as a local plumber.'
A former neighbour, who lived a few streets away in Haydock, told the Manchester Evening News: 'Robert Kenyon and his handlers are making quite a play of him being a Makerfield lad born and bred. I know for a fact that he didn't grow up within the Makerfield constituency. He grew up in Haydock. This characterising himself as a Makerfield lad born and bred is quite grating.'
The neighbour added: 'To be clear, I would have no issue with a Haydock lad moving to Ashton as an adult and standing for the constituency. Surely it wouldn't be an issue to say I grew up in Haydock down the road but I've lived here for many years and this is my home?'
A Reform UK spokesman defended Kenyon, stating: 'Rob was born and schooled in Makerfield. He was born in Billinge Hospital, attended St Edmund Arrowsmith High School, lived here for the past 13 years, and runs his local business Makerfield Heating. For Josh Simmons, who was parachuted into Makerfield from Cambridge, to attack Rob for not being local is the height of irony, particularly given their current candidate was also dropped in from outside the area.'
The party also told the MEN: 'Given he spent most of his formative years here while attending school and visiting his family, I think it's more than fair to say he was bred here.'
Kenyon has also faced scrutiny over past social media comments, including agreeing with a lewd remark about former Countdown star Carol Vorderman. Vorderman has demanded an apology, but Kenyon told the MEN: 'I am rough around the edges. I have made mistakes in my life. I'm not perfect. Nobody is. Not a single person in the world is perfect. I think everybody does say things that eventually they regret. It was a crude attempt at a joke to probably about 50 followers. No offence was meant, and it's not something I'd do now.'
When asked directly if he would apologise, Kenyon said: 'I think I've addressed the issue. I think that no offence was meant and it wasn't a direct comment to her. If you go into any building site in the area or any public barracks, I think you'd hear a hundred times worse said. It was just, like I said, a crass attempt at a joke and it's not something I'd make now.'
