Reform UK has defended its Makerfield by-election candidate Robert Kenyon after a fresh batch of online posts linked to him resurfaced, including remarks saying women cannot “ref, drive or give directions” and declaring: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”
The comments, first reported by *The Independent*, appeared on the rugby supporters’ forum RLFans during the 2010s on an account linked to Kenyon. The forum profile, which used the username “post”, referred elsewhere to the X handle @robkenyon1 and promoted Kenyon’s book, *The Blood Waltz*. When asked about the latest material, Reform did not dispute that the comments were linked to its candidate.
The row comes ahead of the 18 June by-election in Makerfield, in Greater Manchester, where Kenyon is standing for Nigel Farage’s party against Labour’s Andy Burnham in a contest being closely watched for what it may say about Reform’s strength in Labour-held territory. Kenyon, a self-employed plumber who was born in the constituency, finished second in Makerfield at the 2024 general election with 31.8 per cent of the vote.
Among the posts highlighted were comments praising the appearance of European women while disparaging English women. In one message, the account said: “European women… all have really good figures and are good looking”, before adding that English women “just walk around with their fat bellies and odd shapes pushing a pram at 16 in their PJ’s”.
In another exchange on the forum, after a post linking to images of women, the same user responded: “Wouldn’t get me off any of those with a bazooka.”
Other posts were more direct. “Women can’t ref, drive or give directions,” the account wrote in one comment, adding in another: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”
The resurfaced material also included comments about women in sports broadcasting. In 2019, responding to a discussion about women presenting rugby coverage on Sky, the linked account wrote that “the women on the panel’s aren’t up to the job and only there to tick a box”. It also said women’s Super League players were “no where near the standard” to be commentating on games.
In a now-deleted X post from the same year, the account also suggested it would “rank higher” than a female presenter and former player because it had “won the Champions League with Accrington Stanley on FIFA Career Mode”.
Reform UK said it was standing by Kenyon and dismissed the remarks as old and politically motivated. A party spokesperson said: “These comments, which are little more than locker room banter, were made more than a decade ago – well before Rob was in politics.
“We simply don’t care about establishment hit jobs. We fully back Rob and are confident he will be an excellent MP for Makerfield.”
Labour said the latest revelations raised serious questions about Reform’s vetting process and about Farage’s judgment in selecting candidates.
Anna Turley, chair of the Labour Party, said: “Nigel Farage needs to urgently explain why he’s happy for a man who proudly admits he’s sexist to represent the people of Makerfield.
“Robert Kenyon’s comments on women are degrading and an insult to the women and girls who live and work in Makerfield.
“Nigel Farage needs to stop selecting people with such retrograde views from standing for public office for Reform. The only way to stop Reform’s toxic politics from taking hold in Makerfield is to vote for Labour’s Andy Burnham on Thursday 18 June.”
The latest controversy follows earlier reports about other deleted social media posts connected to Kenyon. Campaign group Hope Not Hate had previously highlighted X posts linked to @robkenyon1 in which the account was accused of sharing transphobic slurs and misinformation about Covid-19.
In another deleted post reported separately, the same X account reposted a sexually explicit birthday message aimed at broadcaster Carol Vorderman and added: “He’s only saying what we’re all thinking.”
Vorderman condemned the post in comments to the *Mirror*, saying: “Fundamentally, Rob Kenyon is a misogynist.
“He’s not just being a lad, he’s being a disgusting online abuser who became a Reform councillor three weeks ago.”
Further pressure came after openDemocracy reported on a now-deleted 2022 post from the linked X account in which abortion was described as “the cowardly act of murdering a defenceless baby”. The post also said “Life begins at conception” and rejected arguments for rape exceptions.
That reporting tied Kenyon’s alleged posts to a broader debate over Reform’s stance on abortion and wider social issues. An analysis by openDemocracy and the Fuller Project said references to abortion by nearly 80 Reform politicians, supporters and aligned accounts had risen by 40 per cent over the previous two years, with the material examined in that study receiving around 153,000 shares and more than 800,000 likes.
The Makerfield contest is now likely to be watched as both a local and national test. For Reform, a strong result would underline the party’s ability to compete in Labour heartlands. For Labour, the controversy offers an opportunity to argue that Reform’s candidate choices and political culture are out of step with voters in the constituency.
For now, Reform has shown no sign of distancing itself from Kenyon. Instead, the party has opted to frame the latest posts as historical “banter” and part of an “establishment” attack, even as the list of resurfaced comments linked to its candidate continues to grow in the run-up to polling day.