Reform Wales MS backs Makerfield by-election candidate after ‘disgusting’ post about women emerge

Emily Price

Reform Wales has backed the party’s Makerfield by-election candidate despite controversy over “disgusting” remarks he made online about women – including Welsh broadcaster Carol Vorderman.

Sir Fynwy Torfaen Members of the Senedd Stephen Senior and Laura Anne Jones travelled to north west England this week with Reform’s Chief of Staff in the Senedd David Thomas to canvass alongside candidate Robert Kenyon.

In a video published to Facebook Ms Jones described the Makerfield hopeful as a “fabulous, brilliant guy” who was “down to earth and lovely” and standing for Reform UK “for all the right reasons”.

It comes as Ms Jones demands action from the Welsh Government to ensure single sex spaces are safe for women and girls.

She has been a prominent Senedd voice pressing ministers to adopt the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that “sex” in the Equality Act means biological sex.

Welsh Conservative Senedd Member Natasha Asghar said Ms Jones’ claims to stand up for women “have no credibility when she’s photographed supporting someone who’s made vile misogynistic remarks”.

Ms Asghar said: “If Reform were serious about standing up for women and girls, they wouldn’t consistently promote candidates with such sexist and outdated views towards women.

“It’s the Conservatives who have consistently promoted strong female leaders, championed women’s rights and defended female-only spaces.”

A Welsh Labour source similarly criticised Ms Jones for presenting herself as a vocal advocate for women’s rights.

The source said: “For someone who often claims to speak for women’s rights, she clearly has no qualms with supporting someone who’s repeatedly failed to apologise for vile comments about women and appalling homophobic slurs.”

Backlash

Mr Kenyon, a self employed Wigan borough councillor, is one of 14 candidates standing in the by-election on June 18, with Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham also on the ballot paper.

Reform has faced a significant backlash over its choice of candidate after the anti-racism campaign group, Hope Not Hate, uncovered highly offensive online comments by Mr Kenyon.

The now-deleted posts contained sexist, homophobic, and conspiracy-driven rhetoric.

Among the controversial remarks was Mr Kenyon’s apparent endorsement of a lewd comment about TV broadcaster Carol Vorderman.

Responding to a graphically sexual post about the former Countdown host, the plumber replied with laughter and thumbs-up emojis, adding: “He’s only saying what we’re all thinking.”

‘Cowardly’

Ms Vorderman strongly condemned the Reform candidate, branding him a “disgusting online abuser” and a “cowardly misogynist”.

She has since demanded a formal apology for herself and others targeted by his online behaviour.

Mr Kenyon says his endorsement of the sexually explicit tweet was a “crude attempt at a joke” and has refused to apologise.

Reform UK has made clear it has no plans to investigate its Makerfield candidate and says it was aware of his social media accounts when he was vetted by the party.

One of the accounts run by Mr Kenyon was terminated by social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in 2024 – although it is not known why it was deleted.

The Guardian reported that Mr Kenyon had used the now-deleted X account to cast doubt on the efficacy of a vaccine.

Brexit

The i Paper found he had previously described abortion as a “cowardly act of murdering a defenceless baby”.

He also appeared to suggest women advocated for access to the procedure so they can “shag anyone they want and if they get caught they get a second chance”.

Mr Kenyon also shared comments by far-right influencers and claimed he did not support Nigel Farage’s flagship policy of Brexit.

A Reform spokesperson at the time said the comments were made before Mr Kenyon entered politics.

They added he “is perfectly entitled to his own personal opinions on abortion”, which is a “matter of conscience”.

The Telegraph claimed Mr Kenyon had told an online forum that “Russia are well within their rights to do what they have done” by annexing Crimea in 2014.

Reform says Mr Kenyon is “fully opposed to Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine”.

UK Labour accused Mr Kenyon of being in “hiding” and said his party was “mired in scandal”.

Reform hit back saying Labour’s Andy Burnham was using the by-election as part of a leadership bid.

A spokesperson said: “This by-election is a straight fight between our local Reform candidate and Labour’s parachuted mayor who only wants to use the people of Makerfield as a stepping stone into No 10.”