Why is Reform standing by a 'sexist' candidate in Makerfield?
The News Agents
Global
4.1 • 5.4K Ratings
🗓️ 26 May 2026
⏱️ 46 minutes
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Summary
Robert Kenyon, Reform's candidate in Makerfield, was a week on from defending his Facebook Nazi friend when things got ugly. Over the sunny bank holiday weekend old tweets resurfaced showing not only his utterly creepy views about women but also his original anti-Brexit stance. And yes, you can guess which one is the real headache for Reform. Polls suggest they are currently in second place behind Andy Burnham, with the even harder right Restore party snapping at their heels and threatening to eat into the vote. So is it time to take action? Or just dig in behind their candidate?
A Reform UK spokesman said: “We fully back Cllr Kenyon. He is an excellent, local candidate who we are confident will be a superb MP for Makerfield."
Later, questions for Nicola Sturgeon resurface over her “lack of curiosity“ surrounding her convicted ex husbands ten year spending spree of stolen funds. Is First Minister, John Swinney, in the firing line too?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Newsagents podcast is brought to you by HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity. |
| 0:09.4 | This is a global player original podcast. |
| 0:12.6 | Rob Kenyon, who is reforms candidate in the Makerfield by-election, has described himself as a sexist. |
| 0:18.1 | Transphobic slurs, COVID misinformation or sexism and the response you get back |
| 0:23.1 | from reform is normally stop trying to make him sound like a normal politician. He's a lad. |
| 0:28.9 | I woke up the day after Brexit shitting myself as to what was voted for. So in some ways, Robert |
| 0:35.5 | Kenyon, an unlikely channeler of Remain opinion. |
| 0:39.3 | I was born in Makerfield. If I was elected, I'd be the first person born in the constituency |
| 0:43.9 | to become the MP. I don't think any MP that's ever studied in Makerfield was actually |
| 0:48.2 | born in the area. I'm a plumber, gas engineer. I've done that for a long time. I did my |
| 0:52.4 | apprenticeship when I was 18. I love being a plumber. I do enjoy it. It's hard, but I do enjoy it because I do take pride in the work. I don't know, it gets me a bit emotional sometimes thinking that there's a chance that I could be representing people in Parliament because it's a massive honour. And people will be thinking, I'm in a minute. He serviced my boiler last week. Rob Kenyon, |
| 1:11.2 | the reform candidate |
| 1:12.1 | in the upcoming by-election, |
| 1:14.4 | is from Makerfield. |
| 1:15.9 | He is a plumber. |
| 1:17.3 | He is self-made. |
| 1:19.0 | He is also, in his own words, |
| 1:21.7 | a sexist. |
| 1:22.9 | Does anyone even care anymore? |
| 1:25.3 | Welcome to the news agents. |
| 1:31.7 | Music even care anymore. Welcome to the news agents. The news agents. |
| 1:34.7 | It's Lewis. It's mateless. |
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