Reform investigates whether Makerfield candidate’s sexist posts were costly
Summary
Reform UK is investigating whether sexist social media posts by its candidate Robert Kenyon affected the party’s results in the Makerfield byelection. Labour’s Andy Burnham won with 55% of the vote, while Reform’s candidate finished far behind, with concerns that Kenyon’s posts, especially among women voters, damaged Reform’s chances.Key Facts
- Reform UK is reviewing if Robert Kenyon’s sexist posts hurt the party’s performance in the Makerfield byelection.
- Andy Burnham, Labour candidate and Mayor of Greater Manchester, won 55% of the vote.
- Kenyon, a local plumber, received about 15,696 votes, 9,000 fewer than Burnham.
- Voters, particularly women, were put off by Kenyon’s sexist social media posts.
- Reform told Kenyon not to apologize for the posts, which were partly deleted.
- TV presenter Carol Vorderman publicly demanded an apology after Kenyon’s posts referenced her.
- Nigel Farage, Reform’s leader, said Reform increased its vote share compared to 2024 but was disappointed by the loss.
- Farage urged voters who supported the far-right Restore UK party to vote for Reform as the main right-wing option.
- Reform has shifted toward a harder right position on immigration and national issues.
- Elon Musk has amplified Restore UK’s anti-immigrant messages on his platform X.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.