Reform’s Makerfield by-election candidate did not vote for Brexit, unearthed posts suggest
Kenyon’s comments directly contradict Reform and Nigel Farage's position on Brexit
Robert Kenyon, Reform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election said he did not vote for Brexit and praised European freedom of movement in unearthed social media posts.
A Times investigation has revealed that the Reform candidate made the comments on a rugby league forum in 2019.
In a post on 28 March 2019, Kenyon wrote: “So anyone who thinks I love Trump, voted Brexit, read the Daily Mail, live in the 1950s, a Tory and 103 is wrong. I’m none of the above.”
On European free movement, Kenyon wrote: “Free movement of people is great when they are natives of the EU countries and not people from outside Europe seeking a Greek passport that will allow them into any country in the EU”.
He made the comments on the same forum where he claimed that women can’t “ref, drive or give directions” and said that they get abortions so they can “shag anyone they want”.
In the Brexit referendum in 2016, 66% of voters in Makerfield voted to leave.
The revelations come after Nigel Farage accused Labour’s Andy Burnham of telling voters one thing about Brexit, and privately promising Labour MPs he would reverse it.
Kenyon’s comments appear to expose a mismatch between Reform’s position on Brexit, and his personal views after the vote.
A Reform spokesperson has insisted that Kenyon is a “proud Brexiteer” who voted to leave the EU, despite the posts indicating he didn’t.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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