Story perspectives

Reform UK Blamed for Ignoring Candidate's Sexist Posts, By-Election Loss

6/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

Internal review blames Reform UK advisers for not urging candidate Robert Kenyon to apologise for sexist posts.
Kenyon lost the Makerfield by-election, trailing Labour’s Andy Burnham by over 9,000 votes.
Women voters said Kenyon’s misogynistic forum and social-media remarks discouraged them from supporting Reform.
Reform UK called the posts locker-room banter and said Kenyon admitted mistakes, noting his slurs, Covid-vaccine conspiracy claims and support for Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

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Story summary

Internal review blames Reform UK advisers for not urging candidate Robert Kenyon to apologise for sexist posts.
Kenyon lost the Makerfield by-election, trailing Labour’s Andy Burnham by over 9,000 votes.
Women voters said Kenyon’s misogynistic forum and social-media remarks discouraged them from supporting Reform.
Reform UK called the posts locker-room banter and said Kenyon admitted mistakes, noting his slurs, Covid-vaccine conspiracy claims and support for Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.