Labour Expresses Concern Over Reform UK Candidate's Social Media Associations
Labour has stated there are "serious and deeply troubling allegations" concerning the social media pages of Robert Kenyon, the Reform UK candidate in the Makerfield by-election.
The campaigning organisation Searchlight alleges that Kenyon was friends with fascist campaigner Gary Raikes on a Facebook page that has since been deleted. Reform UK has not disputed this claim.
Additionally, Kenyon had an X account that was terminated by the platform in 2024. Reform UK has not provided an explanation for this termination.
The party has explained that Kenyon's Facebook page was removed after he was elected as a local councillor earlier this month. They describe the deleted page as a conventional Facebook profile and stated that they concluded he should have a public-facing profile once elected to public office.
Reform UK further stated that Kenyon never spoke to or was in contact with Raikes, and that being Facebook friends "does not constitute an endorsement of his views."
A Labour spokesman commented:
"These are serious and deeply troubling allegations. Nigel Farage needs to urgently come clean on whether Reform were aware of his candidate's apparent fascist friends.
Robert Kenyon must also explain himself to those he is seeking to represent. What is his relationship with this man? Voters in Makerfield and across Britain deserve an answer."
Green Party and Other Candidates in the By-Election
Separately, the Green Party of England and Wales is scheduled to select its candidate for the by-election on Wednesday.
There was some speculation among left-wing groups about the possibility of an arrangement between the Greens and Labour, where the Greens might not stand a candidate. However, there was no enthusiasm for such a deal.
The Green Party is positioning itself as an alternative to Labour on the left nationally and believes standing aside would undermine this position. Nonetheless, questions remain about the level of effort the Greens may decide to invest in the campaign.
Adrian Ramsay, former co-leader of the Green Party in England and Wales and current MP, stated on social media:
"Progressive parties need to recognise that the big threat to the country is a Reform-led govt. And in my view avoiding that will involve some give and take from everyone. Burnham must clearly set out his position on a fair voting system."
Restore Britain has already selected a candidate for the by-election, which could potentially reduce some support for Reform UK.
The candidates confirmed so far for the Makerfield by-election include Robert Kenyon for Reform UK and the forthcoming Green Party candidate, alongside others yet to be named.
