Labour Condemns “Troubling” Allegations Surrounding Reform UK Candidate in Makerfield By-Election

The Labour Party has characterized recent reports concerning the social media history of Reform UK’s Makerfield by-election candidate as “serious and deeply troubling.” The controversy stems from claims by the campaigning group Searchlight, which alleges that candidate Robert Kenyon was Facebook friends with Gary Raikes, a known fascist campaigner, on a page that has since been removed. Reform UK has not disputed the existence of this connection.

Additionally, it has been revealed that Kenyon’s X account was suspended in 2024. The party has provided no clarification regarding the reasons for this termination.

Regarding the Facebook incident, Reform UK states that the page in question was deleted following Kenyon’s election as a local councillor earlier this month. The party argues that the profile was standard and that maintaining a public-facing digital presence is appropriate for elected officials. They further assert that Kenyon never communicated with Raikes and that simply being a Facebook friend does not imply an endorsement of Raikes’s political 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.” Farage expressed full confidence in Kenyon, noting, “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.”

In response, a Labour spokesperson demanded transparency, stating: “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.”

Meanwhile, the Green Party of England and Wales is scheduled to announce its candidate for the by-election on Wednesday. Although some on the left had explored the possibility of a tactical agreement where the Greens would withdraw to avoid splitting the vote, there was no significant interest in such a move. The Greens view standing aside as detrimental to their national strategy of positioning themselves as a left-wing alternative to Labour. However, it remains unclear how vigorously they will pursue the campaign.

Former Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay highlighted the broader political stakes on social media, writing 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. Burnham must clearly set out his position on a fair voting system.”

The field of candidates is further complicated by the fact that Restore Britain has already nominated a contender, a move that could potentially erode support for Reform UK. The current list of candidates competing in the Makerfield by-election includes those mentioned above.

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