Makerfield: Reform candidate sexist?

Kandinsky

Maybe Joe public are fed up with the politicians we’ve had for the past 1000 years and want ‘the ordinary bloke in the street’ to represent them. The person who isn’t perfect, the person who has made mistakes, just like they have.
Because guess what, it’s not just 75 year old middle class women who vote.

I'd be very happy for an ordinary bloke in the street to represent me - someone who is in touch with and understands people's everyday lives - but misogyny, sexism, and prejudice are not mistakes. - they are character traits which are not exclusive to ordinary blokes; a bigot in a suit is no different to one in overalls and I suspect it isn't only 75-year-old middle-class women who don't feel represented by them.

Wyllow3

Well, from the Manchester Evening news:

"The sexist comments have become a dominant issue, drawing fierce condemnation and likely harming his standing in a tight race.

While his party fully backs him as a "straight-talking" candidate, the backlash from political rivals, public figures, and voters is directly impacting his campaign's momentum in the Makerfield by-election.

From late may -in the Independent newspaper more choice quote from Kenyon

"Women can’t ref, drive or give directions’: Reform candidate sexism row deepens as more ‘degrading’ posts resurface.

And
An account linked to Robert Kenyon claimed ‘English women just walk around with their fat bellies and odd shapes pushing a pram at 16’. (and are, about he would fancy a "European women".

Now that will go down a storm?

🙄

Just spare us ignorant misogynists like him..*an MP*, fgs?

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-robert-kenyon-comments-misogynistic-b2983146.html

While his party fully backs him as a "straight-talking" candidate...

Yes, a sexist oaf who goes the extra mile to be as offensive as he thinks he can get away with, is not only not reprimanded by his supporters/party - his ignorant outburst is actually turned into a virtue.

If ultimately forced into the defensive position, the straight-talking then becomes locker-room talk - which is OK because men talking about women like that is acceptable as long as it's in the club-room.

... as if girls and women don't have enough to put up with from the growing Andrew-Tate-School-of-Misogyny culture...

Shinamae

Witzend

J52

I watched the whole programme, my conclusion is; do people want a professional, erudite, polite member of parliament or a plumber with very little understanding of politics? I gathered this opinion from what I heard last night, others who watched the programme my have different well informed opinions.

You are casting aspersions on plumbers in general.

Very rude and patronising J52!!

As is your post.
Kenyon is a plumber - fact, he has little or no political experience - fact.

See my reply to Witzend Friday 5th at 16:56.

LemonJam

Kenyon comes across to me less as an 'ordinary bloke on the street', that is generally working class or hard working, has good values and lacks pretence and arrogance- more a 'sleazy geezer'.

Of the 2, on the programme, Burnham came across more as the ordinary bloke on the street, ordinary clothes, with good values, known to be hard working for Greater Manchester and he has strong working class roots in the area.

Kenyon comes across more as 'sleazy geezer' than an ordinary bloke. Yes he is woking class, but he's a bit shady (e.g. his racist and misogynistic social media commentary) and his questionable values would not normally be associated with the 'ordinary bloke on the street'.

Sleaze and politics is never a good fit.

Maybe he's forgotten that half the people voting for him will be women. The looks on the faces of the women on Question Time gave the impression that the ordinary women of Makerfield aren't too impressed with Kenyon.

Where's Allira?

Cossy

MissAdventure

I was taught that his speeches were a good part of why people engaged with ideals you'd never have imagined they could.

I also learned that, I was also taught that initially Hitler gave good, concise speeches centred on the economy and “making Germany great”.

Then, of course, the rest is history!

According to Richard J Evans, who is the most informed historian of 20th century Germany, Hitler's first speeches were incoherent. That's why his real motivations are still disputed.

It was Goebbels who was the Nazi wordsmith and wrote Hitler's speeches. He made use of various rhetorical devices which captivated audiences.

Kenyon comes across to me less as an 'ordinary bloke on the street', that is generally working class or hard working, has good values and lacks pretence and arrogance- more a 'sleazy geezer'.

Of the 2, on the programme, Burnham came across more as the ordinary bloke on the street, ordinary clothes, with good values, known to be hard working for Greater Manchester and he has strong working class roots in the area.

Kenyon comes across more as 'sleazy geezer' than an ordinary bloke. Yes he is woking class, but he's a bit shady (e.g. his racist and misogynistic social media commentary) and his questionable values would not normally be associated with the 'ordinary bloke on the street'.

Sleaze and politics is never a good fit.

MissAdventure

Johstone said some astounding things in his time.
Is that forgotten?

They’re not mutually exclusive.

Shinamae

Witzend

J52

I watched the whole programme, my conclusion is; do people want a professional, erudite, polite member of parliament or a plumber with very little understanding of politics? I gathered this opinion from what I heard last night, others who watched the programme my have different well informed opinions.

You are casting aspersions on plumbers in general.

Very rude and patronising J52!!

I don't think J52 was rude or casting aspersions on plumbers in general. Burnham is a professional politician and Kenyon is a plumber who displayed on the programme he has little understanding of politics. As many others have said he was also not very articulate.

J52 was asking a rational question and the voters of Markerfield will vote to determine the answer.

Kandinsky

Maybe Joe public are fed up with the politicians we’ve had for the past 1000 years and want ‘the ordinary bloke in the street’ to represent them. The person who isn’t perfect, the person who has made mistakes, just like they have.
Because guess what, it’s not just 75 year old middle class women who vote.

Or we could always clone Mandelson! After all, he’s a wonderful example of something!! 🙄

Witzend

J52

I watched the whole programme, my conclusion is; do people want a professional, erudite, polite member of parliament or a plumber with very little understanding of politics? I gathered this opinion from what I heard last night, others who watched the programme my have different well informed opinions.

You are casting aspersions on plumbers in general.

Very rude and patronising J52!!

Kadinsky do you really see Kemyon as the ordinary bloke in the street. I don’t. I also believe our political representatives should have more to offfer than he does

Doodledog

Oreo

There’s nothing wrong with him being a plumber, there was rapture when the blonde plumber from the Greens won recently wasn’t there?
It’s all about what kind of an MP he would make for his constituents if he did win this by-election.
Nobody will know that until it happens.

The 'better a political chancer (I paraphrase) than a plumber who's a sexist' comment was made by an audience member, and has been picked up on on this thread. I don't think it was meant as disrespectful to plumbers in either case - it was specifically aimed at Kenyon.

I also know what you mean, Galaxy, and don't disagree, but the doublespeak and gaslighting of the trans supporters can't get in the way of every single political discussion. Yes, there were people saying stupid things, and yes, IMO they knew they were stupid. But a discussion of why they felt it expedient to say them, whilst interesting in itself, will prevent any other discussion if it is dragged into every single debate.

Also, trans support and being articulate or otherwise are not linked. Where they coexist it is correlation, not causation - plenty of threads on here and elsewhere have shown that.

👏👏

Maybe Joe public are fed up with the politicians we’ve had for the past 1000 years and want ‘the ordinary bloke in the street’ to represent them. The person who isn’t perfect, the person who has made mistakes, just like they have.
Because guess what, it’s not just 75 year old middle class women who vote.

I don't think the Reform candidate was put up to win. Farage wants Burnham to win so that Burnham will challenge
Starmer, hence the poor choice of candidate.I only hope his machinations go pear shaped. Wonder how much has been put on in bets on the market .

In a world where Farage has links with Andrew Tate, we need to take that hatred and apparently careless sexism seriously

"Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has drawn significant public and political attention for his sympathetic rhetoric toward controversial online influencer Andrew Tate" (The Independent, June 24)

""An Important Voice for Men": Farage has publicly praised Tate on podcasts and in interviews as an "important voice for men," arguing that Tate stood up for male culture and helped give young boys confidence.

During the 2024 general election, Farage likened himself to Tate, remarking that he and the influencer were part of a "similar phenomenon" regarding the alienation of young men.

(Guardian, August 2025)

Reform knew of Makerfield candidate’s deleted accounts before selecting him

www.politico.eu/article/reform-uk-knew-robert-kenyon-social-media-posts-before-makerfield-by-election/

Vintagewhine

Reform can't get decent intelligent people to stand for them because they recognise them for what they are so they have to rely on people like Kenyon. I find that comforting.

Spot on 👍

MissAdventure

Ooops
Don't mind me
Wromg thread.
Exit stage left...

Pursued by a bear?😁

MissAdventure

I was taught that his speeches were a good part of why people engaged with ideals you'd never have imagined they could.

I also learned that, I was also taught that initially Hitler gave good, concise speeches centred on the economy and “making Germany great”.

Then, of course, the rest is history!

Galaxy

The articulate ones are usually the worst, they hide their misogyny.

Galaxy, that's a very good point.
A polished politician is guarded, and very often able to disguise his true colours, unlike this fella, thrown into the limelight and raw.

Kandinsky

Honestly. you’d think sexist men were only invented the year Reform UK was born ( just 7 years ago )
Who were these men voting for before Reform?
Mostly Labour I’d say.

In my relatively small world of work, and gym and Parish Council that’s quite possible.
In the wider picture, who knows?
Sexists don’t wear badges.

Reform can't get decent intelligent people to stand for them because they recognise them for what they are so they have to rely on people like Kenyon. I find that comforting.

All this mess has been caused as people voted Reform because no one stopped illegal immigration. The Reform candidate that tried to push a leaflet through my door was a joke,. Do not want Burnham, sure he managed Manchester but the country, no way. . Hope that Starmer sticks it out because the rest are dire. I do not support any party now and I never thought it would get to this, women do not feel safe on our streets but it's ignored. You cannot have people in positions of power that are sexist pigs.

'Carefully structured to manipulate crowd psychology.'
In other words...dog whistle comments.
Perhaps similar to 'cold rage'?
Thanks to Rosie for the research.