Reform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election, Robert F Kenyon, wrote about Asian men ‘assaulting white people en masse’ and ‘an invasion of foreign criminals’ on his now-suspended X account, as revealed by Metro. Kenyon was selected by Reform to take on Andy Burnham in the critical by-election in Makerfield, Greater Manchester, next month. Social media commentators noticed within minutes that Kenyon’s account, Makerfield_RFK, was suspended by X for violating platform rules. Metro uncovered a string of provocative posts using a tool that saves X posts before deletion.
Provocative Posts
In one post, Kenyon suggested that King Charles should open up Buckingham Palace and its grounds for asylum seekers. This came after the King called for unity following nationwide protests. Kenyon also posted inflammatory remarks after the Southport attack in July 2024, which were followed by anti-immigration riots. He questioned whether it was a hate crime for Asian men to ‘assault white people en masse’ in Birmingham, referencing counter-protests. Additionally, he denied the existence of the far-right threat, saying ‘there was never a threat from the far right because they don’t really exist.’
Two-Tier Policing Claims
Kenyon echoed accusations of two-tier policing, stating that a West Midlands Police superintendent showed there is a ‘two tier policing system in the UK against the native population.’ He also posted before the Southport attack, reacting to a soldier being stabbed by calling it an ‘invasion of foreign criminals.’ In response to a Home Office plan to treat extreme misogyny as terrorism, he asked if ‘extreme misogyny is forcing your wife to wear certain clothing?’
Historical Claims
Kenyon also claimed that ‘we didn’t colonise India,’ contradicting historical facts. The revelations raise questions about Reform UK’s vetting procedures, following a string of controversial statements by elected councillors. A Conservative source criticised Reform, saying ‘Farage and Reform have serious questions to answer about the vetting of their candidate.’ However, Reform refused to investigate Kenyon. A Reform spokesman said: ‘We will not investigate him. Robert Kenyon is a brilliant candidate and we are proud to have him represent the party. British politics needs more real people involved like Robert.’
Kenyon finished second in the 2024 election in Makerfield, 5,000 votes behind Labour. However, Burnham faces a tough fight after Labour suffered catastrophic losses in local elections, including in Wigan council, where Reform won 24 out of 25 seats contested on May 7.
