Rob Kenyon has found himself at the centre of a controversy over his previous use of social media.
Robert Kenyon(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
A senior Reform MP has said that alleged historic social media posts by the party’s Makerfield candidate were ‘unacceptable’, but were ‘intended as private conversations’.
Plumber and newly-elected Wigan councillor Robert Kenyon is standing in the June 18 by-election. He is seen as the main rival to Labour’s Andy Burnham as he bids to return to Westminster.
Following the announcement he will stand, councillor Kenyon has found himself at the centre of a controversy over his previous use of social media.
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Concerns were first raised after he was announced as the party’s candidate, when it emerged an X account believed to be his had been suspended. Campaign group Hope Not Hate has since reported on a second account on the platform, which has been deleted.
The group claimed Kenyon allegedly made misogynistic posts; a transphobic post; and remarks about Covid conspiracy theories.
Reform UK insists the plumber is the right person to represent Makerfield, with the party suggesting the comments were made before Kenyon entered politics.
Hope Not Hate alleged that on Christmas Eve in 2021, Coun Kenyon responded to an X user who wrote a degrading sexual message about Carol Vorderman.
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After another user criticised the remark, Mr Kenyon is said to have responded ‘he’s only saying what we’re all thinking’ with a thumbs up and laughing emoji.
Ms Vorderman has since hit out at Coun Kenyon in a post Instagram.
On Monday (May 25) East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger – who heads the party’s ‘preparing for government unit’ – was quizzed on the alleged comment about Ms Vorderman on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Mr Kruger said it was ‘clearly an inappropriate thing to publicly’, but added: “I’m not going to judge people for what are essentially regarded at the time and intended as private conversations.
“Clearly that’s not the sort of thing you would want an elected politician to make (sic). Quite rightly, clearly, he’s deleted that post and regrets it.”
Asked if he believed Coun Kenyon needed to be removed as the party’s candidate, he said: “No I don’t.”
“It is clearly wrong for politicians to talk in that way,” he added. “He was not a politician at the time. He was an ordinary man, from an ordinary place. And what he has done now is to step forward, outraged at the state of our country and the state of his community.
“I’m not going to defend those comments, but please can you acknowledge there are other concerns at play here. I’m not going to sit here and police the previous remarks, unacceptable as they may be, of people who as private citizens said things they shouldn’t.
“There is a bigger story here. I recognise, I’m not going to diminish the importance of that, but if I may, the real challenge for our country is to get our economy moving, to secure our borders, to give opportunities to young people and to rescue places like Makerfield from an economic model that isn’t working.”
The Manchester Evening News has attempted to contact Coun Kenyon for comment.
A Reform spokesperson previously said: “We fully back Councillor Kenyon. He is an excellent, local candidate who we are confident will be a superb MP for Makerfield. These comments were made before he was in politics.
“Rob isn’t a polished, professional politician and doesn’t speak like one. That’s precisely why he’ll be a straight-talking, effective voice for normal working people in Makerfield.”
