A Reform UK MP has described social media posts by his own party’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election as “inappropriate,” but sought to defend the “private” comments of “an ordinary man.”
Candidate’s Offensive Post
Robert Kenyon, who is standing against Labour’s Andy Burnham in the June 18 contest, used a now-deleted X account to support an offensive post about Welsh broadcaster Carol Vorderman. Messages published by campaign group Hope Not Hate showed that Mr Kenyon responded on Christmas Eve 2021 to another person’s post including graphic sexual language about the presenter who made her name as the maths expert on Channel 4’s Countdown. Alongside a thumbs up and a laughing emoji, the plumber wrote: “He’s only saying what we’re all thinking.”
MP’s Response
Asked about the message, Reform MP Danny Kruger told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday: “The great challenge for social media for private people is that they use it as if they are chatting to their friends in the park. Clearly an inappropriate thing to say publicly. I’m not going to judge people for their what are essentially regarded at the time and intended as private conversations.” It was put to Mr Kruger that Vorderman has described Mr Kenyon as a “cowardly misogynist.” Mr Kruger, a Tory-to-Reform defector, said: “This was clearly something said in a different context, not an appropriate thing to say publicly.”
Candidate’s Status
Asked whether Reform should drop Mr Kenyon as its candidate, Mr Kruger said: “It is clearly wrong for politicians to talk in that way. He was not a politician at the time. He was an ordinary man from an ordinary place, and what he’s done now is to step forward, outraged at the state of our country. I’m not going to defend those comments, but please can you acknowledge that there are other concerns at play here.” Reform has told the BBC it has no plans to investigate Mr Kenyon’s past social media use, which first sparked concerns after he was announced as the party’s candidate for the Makerfield by-election last week. Reform UK has been contacted for comment.
Reactions and Polling
Labour Press wrote on X: “Reform: Robert Kenyon’s comments are completely unacceptable but we still want him to be your MP…” Mr Kenyon, who came second in the seat in the 2024 general election, is trailing Mr Burnham by three percentage points, according to an opinion poll. Mr Burnham hopes to use the Makerfield contest to return to Westminster and potentially launch a bid to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister. Although the Survation study in Makerfield had a sample size of just 504 respondents of whom 369 said they were likely to vote, it is the first survey of the constituency since the by-election was called and the pollster said it should be treated as an “indicative early look.” It put Mr Burnham on 43%, Mr Kenyon on 40% with Restore Britain’s Rebecca Shepherd on 7%.
Farage Criticises Musk
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has criticised Elon Musk over his support for Restore Britain, warning the tech billionaire will “split the right” in the contest. The Tesla boss posted a series of messages backing Restore Britain on his social media platform X. With Restore Britain’s candidate picking up support, Mr Farage said Mr Burnham would be “delighted” by Mr Musk’s intervention. He told the Telegraph: “Elon Musk has decided he will try to split the right of British politics as best he can. This is supporting a party that’s one man with a social media account. Quite what he’s trying to achieve, I have no idea.” Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe, a former Reform MP who has a long-running feud with Mr Farage, hit back: “Farage can arrogantly insult me over and over, but he has never been more wrong.”
