A candidate from the Reform party running in a by-election is facing criticism for expressing anti-abortion views and making derogatory statements about women’s driving abilities. Robert Kenyon, the candidate in question, is being scrutinized for comments attributed to him on rugby league forums, including suggesting that women undergo abortions for superficial reasons. These allegations are putting pressure on Nigel Farage’s party to reconsider Kenyon’s candidacy as he competes against Andy Burnham for the Makerfield seat.
The contentious remarks were reportedly made by an individual using the username ‘post’ on a rugby league forum, who also claimed to be associated with the Twitter handle @robkenyon1 and promoted Kenyon’s book, The Blood Waltz. Among the controversial posts, ‘post’ insinuated that women trivialize the decision to have an abortion and implied that many abortions are sought for vanity purposes.
Further statements attributed to the now-deleted Twitter account ‘robkenyon1’ condemned abortion as the cowardly act of killing a defenseless baby and urged the use of contraception instead. Additionally, Kenyon allegedly made disparaging remarks about English women’s appearance and abilities in posts from an online rugby fan forum in the past.
HopeNotHate, a campaigning group, claims to have discovered two accounts linked to Kenyon, with one account suspended by the platform. The group also alleges lewd comments directed at Carol Vorderman from a deleted account associated with the candidate, prompting demands for an apology from the former Countdown star.
In response to the controversy, Labour party chair Anna Turley criticized Kenyon’s reported comments as misogynistic and vile, contrasting them with Andy Burnham’s positive reputation and commitment to the local community. A spokesperson for Reform UK defended Kenyon, stating that his opinions on abortion were personal and that his straightforward communication style would resonate with ordinary working individuals in Makerfield.