Labour Condemns "Troubling" Allegations Surrounding Reform UK Candidate’s Online History

The Labour Party has characterized allegations concerning the social media activity of Reform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election as "serious and deeply troubling."

According to the campaigning group Searchlight, Robert Kenyon, the Reform candidate, was listed as a friend of Gary Raikes, a known fascist campaigner, on a Facebook page that has since been deleted. Reform UK has not contested this specific claim. Additionally, Kenyon’s X account was suspended in 2024, though the party has provided no clarification regarding the reason for the termination.

In response to scrutiny, Reform UK stated that Kenyon’s Facebook profile was removed following his election as a local councillor earlier this month. The party explained that the deleted page was a standard Facebook account and that they determined a public-facing profile was appropriate once he assumed public office. Furthermore, Reform asserts that Kenyon never communicated with Raikes and maintains that being Facebook friends does not equate to an endorsement of Raikes’ views.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage defended his candidate on Wednesday, stating: "When he [Kenyon] campaigned here at the general election, hundreds of people joined as friends, and one of them turned out to be unsavoury. I am utterly confident that in Rob, we've got somebody who's done his bit for his country, done his bit for himself, does his bit for the community."

A Labour spokesperson responded by demanding transparency. "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," the spokesperson said. "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."

Meanwhile, the Green Party of England and Wales is set to announce its candidate for the by-election on Wednesday. Although some on the left explored the possibility of a deal to prevent the Greens from standing, there was no interest in such an arrangement. The Greens view themselves as a left-wing alternative to Labour nationally and believe that withdrawing would undermine that positioning. However, questions remain regarding the extent of their campaign efforts.

Adrian Ramsay, the former co-leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, highlighted the broader political stakes on social media. He argued that "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." Ramsay added that "Burnham must clearly set out his position on a fair voting system."

Additionally, the party Restore Britain has already named its candidate, a move that could potentially erode some of Reform UK’s support base. The following individuals are currently confirmed as candidates in the Makerfield by-election:

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-20 18:12:55 UTC