Labour has characterized as "serious and deeply troubling" the allegations concerning the social media history of Reform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election. Campaign group Searchlight has asserted that Robert Kenyon was connected to fascist activist Gary Raikes on a Facebook page that has since been deleted, a link that Reform UK has not contested.

Additionally, Kenyon’s X account was suspended by the platform in 2024. Reform UK has provided no clarification regarding the reason for this termination. Regarding his Facebook presence, the party stated that the account was removed following Kenyon’s election as a local councillor earlier this month. They argued that the page was standard and that maintaining a public profile was appropriate once he assumed public office. Furthermore, Reform emphasized that Kenyon had no direct communication with Raikes, insisting that being listed as a Facebook friend does not amount to an endorsement of another person's 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."

In response, a Labour spokesperson demanded transparency, saying: "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 name its by-election candidate on Wednesday. Although some on the left explored the possibility of a deal to withdraw the Green candidate in favor of Labour, such an arrangement was rejected. The Greens view themselves as a left-wing alternative to Labour nationwide and believe that withdrawing would undermine that positioning. However, uncertainty remains regarding the extent of resources they will dedicate to the campaign.

Former Green co-leader and MP Adrian Ramsay highlighted the stakes on social media, noting 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."

With Restore Britain already having selected a candidate, there is a risk of splitting votes away from Reform UK. The following individuals are currently confirmed as candidates for the Makerfield by-election:

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