Reform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election, Robert Kenyon, has been accused of claiming Russia was “within their rights” to invade Crimea in 2014, according to newly unearthed social media comments.
In an online forum post from March 2014, Kenyon agreed with a statement that described Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula as “democracy in action”. The post, titled “Hypocrisy of the West regarding Ukraine in the sin bin”, included a user’s comment: “The people of the Crimea want to be in Russia, for me that is democracy in action.” Kenyon replied: “I agree totally, Russia are well within their rights to do what they have done, as we did with the Falklands. However, will Latvia be next?”
The remarks come ahead of the June 18 by-election in the Greater Manchester constituency, where Kenyon is challenging Labour’s Andy Burnham. The plumber and local councillor has faced scrutiny over a series of controversial posts, including offensive comments about women. In one instance, he expressed support for a sexually explicit tweet about Carol Vorderman, later calling it “a crass comment that I certainly wouldn’t make today.” He has also been linked to a rugby forum post from the 2010s stating women cannot “ref, drive or give directions”.
Luke Pollard, a defence minister, condemned the comments: “Nigel Farage has again chosen a candidate who promotes Kremlin talking points and makes excuses for Putin’s unacceptable actions against Ukraine. While we stand with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, Robert Kenyon has shown he’s completely out of step with the British people.”
In response, a Reform UK spokesman said: “At no point did Rob explicitly support or endorse Russia’s actions in Crimea. These comments were made before he was in politics and during a time when the British Prime Minister was still having meetings with Vladimir Putin. Rob is unequivocally opposed to Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. We fully back Cllr Kenyon. He is an excellent, local candidate who we are confident will be a superb MP for Makerfield.”
The controversy adds to mounting pressure on Reform UK, as a group of 26 Labour MPs and one independent MP wrote to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) demanding a probe into allegations of Islamophobia against the party. The MPs claim there is “overwhelming evidence” that Reform UK has breached its obligations under the 2010 Equality Act.
