Nigel Farage’s Reform Party is facing backlash over allegations of sexism involving its Makerfield candidate, Robert Kenyon. Kenyon has been linked to online posts from a rugby fan forum in the 2010s that made derogatory remarks about women on television and abortion. The posts suggested that women on TV were incompetent and that those having abortions did so for vanity reasons.
In a series of now-deleted tweets, Kenyon criticized abortion as a “cowardly act” and insinuated that women falsely claim rape to terminate pregnancies. The Reform Party dismissed these comments as “locker room banter” and defended Kenyon’s right to hold personal views on abortion, sparking scrutiny of Farage and the party’s stance on women’s rights.
Responding to the sexism accusations, a Reform Party spokesperson characterized the comments as insignificant banter from over a decade ago, prior to Kenyon’s political involvement. In a subsequent statement, the spokesperson reiterated Kenyon’s right to personal opinions on abortion, highlighting it as a longstanding matter of individual conscience in politics.
Labour swiftly condemned Reform for endorsing a candidate with a history of sexism and homophobia, accusing the party of normalizing such attitudes. The controversy surrounding Kenyon adds to Reform’s reputation woes, with past comments from Farage and other candidates stirring similar controversies about women. Farage, a supporter of Donald Trump, previously defended Trump’s controversial remarks about women as mere “locker room banter.”
Last year, Farage faced criticism for suggesting that men are more willing to sacrifice family life for career success than women. In a separate incident, Reform councillor Peter York made sexist comments during an International Women’s Day event, prompting a complaint and potential breach of the council’s code of conduct.
Following the complaint, the council acknowledged a likely breach of conduct and planned civility and respect training for the involved member. The incident underscores concerns about Reform’s stance on gender equality and respect for women’s rights.
Readers are invited to participate in a poll on whether Nigel Farage can be trusted with women’s rights, reflecting growing public scrutiny on the issue.
