Oh I had assumed that was tactical from the greens but maybe not.
How about some good news in the news?
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Reform - Disgusting Misogyny - and more!
(108 Posts)Reform's Makerfield Candidate's deleted SM statements - it tells you all about his grim and disgusting views
He is not fit for office. Did he really think - are Reform really so stupid - or uncaring - they neither did the reasrach, or worse, didnt care?
Here is what he posted. Thank you to Graphite, other thread for revealing this: I felt it needed a separate discussion post.
Its long. I urge GN's to read the lot.
On a deleted social media account, Reform UK’s candidate in the upcoming Makerfield parliamentary by-election, Rob Kenyon, made creepy comments about women, peddled baseless conspiracy theories, and called for a method of torture prohibited by international human rights law.
After Rob Kenyon was announced as Reform UK’s Makerfield candidate earlier this week, it was swiftly revealed that an old Twitter account of his had been suspended. On it, he expressed support for Donald Trump, referred to an “invasion” of asylum seekers (who he described as “illegal enemies”), and criticised government funding to protect Mosques.
Conspiracy theories
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenyon peddled baseless conspiracy theories. He suggested the media “were complicit” in “global tyranny” when responding to a post by Peter Sweden, a far-right influencer with a history of Holocaust denial; replied to someone who said the Covid vaccines “help a lot” by commenting, “What a load of crap”; and compared Covid vaccination policies in Australia to Nazism.
The Reform candidate additionally questioned whether the election of Justin Trudeau – who served as prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025 – was “rigged” and pronounced, “He can fuck right off”, in response to the chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty urging people to get the Covid booster vaccine in February 2023. Kenyon told people to “take vitimins [sic]” and “stop having boosters”.
He also believes that climate change is “a middle class problem” and asked whether schools will be “teaching about the ice age and that the world has been getting warmer since then”. In December 2021, he suggested making the conspiracy theorist Neil Oliver a government minister.
Women, gender and sexuality
In several creepy posts about women, Kenyon suggested he would “love to smell & lick” Carol Vorderman’s arsehole said .... he loves how female rugby players handle their knockers ... and wrote: If it’s not tits and arse or rugby its politics
The Reform candidate also explained that he had been blocked from the Sky Sports Rugby League Twitter page because he “said something about womens [sic] rugby* suggested Labour are “the party for trannys”, and wrote, “What does his dick taste like* in response to a man commenting on a rugby player’s guns
Calls for violence
As well as promoting conspiracy theories and making derogatory comments about women, Kenyon has called for violence. On 5 April 2020, before he started promoting Covid conspiracy theories, Kenyon declared that someone eating chips on a beach should be waterboarded – a method of torture which is prohibited by international human rights law.
Two days prior to that he wrote that Richard Branson should be hanged, along with other businessmen, for accepting furlough money to pay their workers as lockdown kicked in.
We now know that he also likes to objectify women, promote conspiracy theories and call for forms of violence which breach international human rights law. Kenyon is totally unfit to represent the people of Makerfield
hopenothate.org.uk/2026/05/21/reform-candidate-makerfield-kenyon/
I’m not easily shocked these days but those comments actually made my stomach clench with nausea. What a horrible individual he is.
Galaxy
Oh I had assumed that was tactical from the greens but maybe not.
No, I don’t think it was, it made the BBC headlines.
I guess the Greens have vetting issues too, given that it is also the Reform and Green councillors appointed this moth who are falling like flies by the looks of it. I saw somewhere that over 100 have now been removed, suspended or resigned.
Galaxy
I am sure they will vote. Am sure those being called poorly educated, racist, etc will vote too. Am sure it will go well.
I didn't mention "poorly educated, racist" voters - I'm not sure why you did.
Oh the greens definitely have vetting issues as well, it happens in every small party once they start gaining popularity.
No you didn't twaddle, Bluebelle did.
AGAA4
Farage's boast about "turning back the boats" appeals to many. They believe that this will make their lives better and won't dig too deeply into the negative side of Reform. They won't turn over the stone to see what nasties crawl out until it's too late.
Yes, it will appeal to many. I wonder if they understand that Labour has had some success in turning them back. Reform hasn't even come up with a realistic plan.
Galaxy
No you didn't twaddle, Bluebelle did.
OK! Just looked at Bluebelle's post. I don't think you could deny this particular man is racist. I couldn't say whether he was poorly educated, although I think anybody who knows what he's like and still votes for him isn't the sharpest knife in the box. I have no idea where he was educated. I hope it wasn't a private school because his parents should be given a refund.
In a democracy, everybody is entitled to a vote (as you know). All anybody can do is try to make sure that everybody has the knowledge to use their valuable vote wisely.
"A spokesperson for Reform UK said "we fully back Councillor Kenyon. He is an excellent, local candidate who we are confident will be a superb MP for Makerfield.
"These comments were made before he was in politics. Rob isn't a polished, professional politician and doesn't speak like one. That's precisely why he'll be a straight-talking, effective voice for normal working people in Makerfield."
In BBC/AOL/Manchester Evening news/The Mirror
www.aol.com/news/reform-says-wont-investigate-election-174001569.html
There is a strange lack of reports in the right wing press, unless someone can find something that I cannot. How very strange.
The Lib Dem’s don’t seem to have the same issues, although until the last election they did not have many MPs. Mainstream parties attract mainstream candidates who have less ‘out there’ views perhaps, or maybe they are just more street wise as a party administration.
Galaxy
Oh the greens definitely have vetting issues as well, it happens in every small party once they start gaining popularity.
Two wrongs don't make a right! What's that got to do with this obnoxious man?
twaddle
Galaxy
Oh the greens definitely have vetting issues as well, it happens in every small party once they start gaining popularity.
Two wrongs don't make a right! What's that got to do with this obnoxious man?
Vetting failure is everything to do with this, surely?
Reported channel 4 too.
In this case, it's a distraction from the OP, which seems to happen quite a lot on GN.
Election date is Thursday 18th June.
could Reform dredge up anyone, anyway?
They have to have "local", after the Gorton loss.
Er I was responding to a comment from Casdon as she mentioned the greens, it was a perfectly reasonable thing to bring up.
Dh was a lib dem councillor for a while ( somehow we are still married 
) - the problems that they seemed to have was that within the structure of the party it was relatively easy ( due to the size of the party) to hold positions of influence whilst being fundamentally useless. In my experience, the local councillors/ supporters were mostly genuine, hardworking, once you got beyond that level it was a bit weird.
Flippinheck
I’m not easily shocked these days but those comments actually made my stomach clench with nausea. What a horrible individual he is.
I agree.
Wyllow ‘ if normal working people in Makerfield’ think like him then we need to be very afraid.
twaddle
In this case, it's a distraction from the OP, which seems to happen quite a lot on GN.
I don’t think it is. Once you have said that the Reform candidate has outrageous views, and discussed what he has said, it would be the end of the thread if you didn’t talk about how people like him get through the vetting process to actually stand for election.
It is relevant that Reform are apparently not the only party with the same issues with vetting, because vetting failures are what cause a huge percent of all the issues with politicians - things are known to some but aren’t disclosed.
A truly repulsive individual feeling comfortable applying as a candidate for a political group is worrying to me. The fact that he was selected is an even greater worry.
Wyllow3
"A spokesperson for Reform UK said "we fully back Councillor Kenyon. He is an excellent, local candidate who we are confident will be a superb MP for Makerfield.
"These comments were made before he was in politics. Rob isn't a polished, professional politician and doesn't speak like one. That's precisely why he'll be a straight-talking, effective voice for normal working people in Makerfield."
In BBC/AOL/Manchester Evening news/The Mirror
www.aol.com/news/reform-says-wont-investigate-election-174001569.html
There is a strange lack of reports in the right wing press, unless someone can find something that I cannot. How very strange.
In my humble opinion, that actually makes it worse, that’s not the first time Reform has excused their people using similar phrases.
Nobody wants polished performances, you can speak from the heart without being insulting and vile!
What on earth is our political system coming too when candidates such as this are allowed to stand?
Hmmm! It appears he's only been a plumber since February 2026, according to Companies House. Now let me guess why he's become a self-employed plumber ....
Now let me guess why he's become a self-employed plumber ....
Why?
If we are talking about vetting, Mandelson…
Misogyny crawls out of Reform again. [Wyllow3 Thu 21-May-26 22:30:37]
Firstly, *Wyllow3", thank you for such an open post.
I looked at the comment I quoted and it seems to me it is worse than misogyny. I feel this is partly the Americanisation of the British culture.
American culture seems to say that freedom of speech means you can say anything. Our Freedom of Expression laws are limited by our Freedom of speech laws. In other words, we have freedom to say what we want as long as it doesn't limit others freedoms.
Another large difference between us is how we value human beings - including women. There is also a strong culture of economic mobility in the US that can sometimes mask underlying issues like debt dependency, labour exploitation, or systemic inequalities. Also, the US has a more market-driven economy, where certain practices, such as high student debt, medical debt, and debt inheritance, can create cycles of economic dependency that limit true individual freedom. The concept of "buying and selling" individuals that once existed may be less explicit but can manifest subtly through these economic arrangements, which can resemble forms of economic coercion or dependency.
By comparison, historically, the UK has a strong tradition of social welfare and legal protections that aim to safeguard individual rights against exploitation. The UK has implemented laws that restrict certain forms of exploitative labor practices, and there is a cultural emphasis on social justice and fairness. Although issues like debt inheritance and work conditions exist, there is generally a more cautious approach to allowing economic dependencies or arrangements that could resemble forms of indentured labour or involuntary servitude.
There is a great attraction to the American system amongst those trying to propell Reform to power. The same ignorance of the facts that gave us Brexit is giving Reform its power. The same people flying the Cross of St George while attacking anyone they perceive as "differently" British are welcoming Americanisation - which is very "differently British" but allows them to wallow in the mire of the sort of language we have seen reported above.
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