Reform UK is facing a damaging scrutiny of its values after a string of sexist social media posts attributed to its Makerfield by-election candidate, Robert Kenyon, appear to have repelled voters. The fallout comes as the party struggles to come to terms with a crushing defeat at the hands of Labour's Andy Burnham, who secured a resounding 55% of the vote in the Greater Manchester constituency.
The controversy centres around explicit comments made by Mr Kenyon on social media, which sparked outrage among women voters and saw Reform activists privately admit that the party was caught off guard by the backlash. One insider claimed that Mr Kenyon had been advised against apologising for the posts, with some within the party blaming his advisors for failing to mitigate the damage.
The affair gained widespread attention after television presenter Carol Vorderman waded in, calling for Mr Kenyon to apologise for taking part in a graphic online discussion about her. The move was seen as a turning point in the campaign, with one Reform source conceding that 'the Vorderman stuff' had dealt a significant blow to the party's prospects.
Despite the setback, Reform UK is pointing to the challenge of competing against such a well-known figure as Mr Burnham, who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The party notes that Mr Kenyon managed to increase its vote share by 2.7 percentage points compared to the 2024 general election, but concedes that this was not enough to overcome Labour's formidable presence in the constituency.
Party leader Nigel Farage has acknowledged the difficulty of competing with Mr Burnham, describing his win as 'dramatic and emphatic'. In a video message posted on X, Mr Farage appealed for supporters of other right-wing parties to coalesce behind Reform UK, portraying it as the sole viable contender on the centre-right. He also claimed that the party's vote share had been bolstered by its performance in the concurrent Aberdeen South by-election, where the Conservatives won.