Reform UK candidate faces removal calls over offensive posts

A Reform UK candidate in an upcoming parliamentary by-election is facing calls to be removed after historical social media posts containing offensive remarks about broadcaster Carol Vorderman and female rugby players were made public. Robert Kenyon, a plumber and local councillor, is the Reform candidate challenging Labour’s Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election on June 18.

The posts, which date back to 2021, were uncovered by the campaign group Hope Not Hate. In one instance, on Christmas Eve 2021, Kenyon responded to another user’s post containing graphic sexual language about Vorderman, a former presenter on Channel 4’s Countdown. Kenyon added a thumbs-up and laughing emoji and wrote, “Hes only saying what were all thinking.” Other posts from accounts linked to Kenyon referenced being blocked by a Sky Sports Rugby League social media account for comments about women’s rugby.

In response, Vorderman has publicly demanded an apology from Kenyon and criticized Reform’s defense of him. She told a newspaper that Kenyon is a “disgusting online abuser” and a “misogynist,” arguing that his behavior represents a pattern. “They are public comments on a public platform,” Vorderman...