Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 2
Reform UK's Robert Kenyon Admits 10-Year-Old 'Crass' Posts in 14-Candidate Makerfield Race
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 2

Reform UK's Robert Kenyon Admits 10-Year-Old 'Crass' Posts in 14-Candidate Makerfield Race

2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 2
  • Robert Kenyon said some resurfaced online remarks were "crass" and made before he entered politics, as scrutiny of the Reform UK candidate intensifies ahead of the 18 June Makerfield by-election.
  • BBC questioning focused on posts about Brexit, abortion, Ukraine and Carol Vorderman; Kenyon said he did not recall one anti-Brexit comment and described his response to a graphic post about Vorderman as a "crass joke."
  • Reform UK backed Kenyon and said it has no plans to investigate, while Kenyon argued voters want a local representative rather than a "career politician."
  • The contest was triggered by former MP Josh Simons's resignation and is expected to center on Kenyon, a plumber and newly elected local councillor, against Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Is backing a controversial candidate a vetting failure for Reform UK, or a calculated political move?
Will voters overlook a candidate's shocking online past for an anti-establishment message?