Reform UK's by-election candidate in Makerfield, Robert Kenyon, is facing accusations of homophobia after archived posts on a rugby league discussion forum allegedly linked to him made derogatory remarks about gay men. The posts, discovered on the now-defunct RLFans forum under the username 'post', reference Kenyon's deleted X handle @robkenyon1 and promote his debut novel, 'The Blood Waltz'. In a 2009 post, the account stated: 'You can’t call her ‘The Queen’ anymore because it offends the poofs.' Another post from 2010 complained about gay personalities on television, including Julian Clary, Graham Norton, and Paul O'Grady, claiming they 'mince about' and cause 'greater insult' to homosexuals.
Further Controversial Remarks
In January 2020, the account responded to Wigan Warriors' Pride Day celebration, arguing that rugby clubs should not 'throw the issue in their faces' of children. A later post added: 'If LGBT just want acceptance then stop making a big song and dance about it.' Kenyon, already under fire for alleged misogynistic comments about Carol Vorderman and abortion, has also been accused of claiming women have abortions for 'vanity purposes'. Labour chair Anna Turley condemned the remarks, stating: 'Robert Kenyon’s mask has well and truly slipped. Nigel Farage needs to urgently explain why he thinks someone who’s made homophobic and divisive comments like these is fit to represent the people of Makerfield.'
Reform UK's Response
A Reform UK spokesman defended Kenyon, saying: 'Many of these comments were made nearly 20 years ago - well before Rob was in politics. We simply don’t care about establishment hit jobs. We fully back Rob and are confident he will be an excellent MP for Makerfield.' The party has dismissed calls to drop Kenyon, who is standing against Labour's Andy Burnham in the high-stakes by-election. Kenyon has also been forced to clarify his Brexit stance after reports suggested he previously endorsed freedom of movement.
