Reform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election has been dubbed “not fit to be an MP” after further controversial comments posted online have emerged.
An account linked to Robert Kenyon – who is running against Labour’s Andy Burnham in the upcoming by-election – was accused of making “degrading” comments about TV anchor Emma Crosby and a series of remarks about girl band The Saturdays.
He also compared former Wigan Warriors rugby player Feka Paleaaesina to a “nice girlfriend who has put a bit of weight on”, adding: “You just don’t love them”.
Posting on an online rugby fan forum in the 2010s, the user wrote: “The Saturdays in nothing but a pair of Wigan home socks at the bottom of me bed. 2:D Alrilligghhhhttill Giggety giggetty”.
“Giggity giggity” is a catchphrase used by the character Glenn Quagmire from TV show Family Guy and is a slang term used to indicate sexual desire.
The series of posts, made in an RLFans forum, also mentioned “a picture of the Saturdays wearing nothing but her birthday suits”.
"Sorry Ernie She’s fit off GMTV, that new one Emma Crosby”, they wrote, adding that they were “getting a hardwang never mind a wetwang”.
“Jessica Ennis……shwing!”, the user also wrote, in an apparent reference to Nineties US comedy Wayne’s World.
The posts also saw them say singer Diana Vickers is “shocking at singing”, saying she “sounds like an asthmatic yorkshire terrier trying to shift a bit of phlegm”.
The user added: “Fielden and Coley both deserve new contracts, that cant be said about Feka. We have had some good memories of Feka but now he is like a nice girlfreind who has put a bit of weight on and you just don’t love them so it's bye bye. Sorry, it's not me it's you or is it? Something like that anyway.”
The remarks were made by an account under the username “post”, which says in other comments that their Twitter handle is @robkenyon1 and promotes Mr Kenyon’s book, The Blood Waltz.
This is apparently the latest in a series of lewd and controversial remarks made on the internet by the candidate. Previously revealed messages showed him interacting with far-right figures and making sexual comments about presenter Carol Vorderman.
Meanwhile, The Independent revealed last week that an account linked to Mr Kenyon wrote that women can’t “ref, drive or give directions” and declared: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”
The account objectified European women’s bodies while saying English women “don’t care” and “just walk around with their fat bellies and odd shapes pushing a pram at 16 in their PJ’s”.
A spokesperson for Reform UK did not dispute the comments but instead dismissed them as “locker room banter”.
But hitting out at his latest remarks, Labour chair Anna Turley wrote: “Robert Kenyon clearly has a problem with women. It’s staggering that Reform try and shrug comments like this off as locker room talk.
“It’s not – it’s degrading and completely unacceptable. He is completely unfit to be the next MP for Makerfield – women and girls can have no confidence he will stand up for them and he sets an appalling example for men and boys too.
“While Reform continue to be mired in scandal, Labour’s Andy Burnham is focused on making sure he can deliver the better future and investment local residents need. Send Robert Kenyon and Reform packing – back Andy Burnham on Thursday 18 June.”
When the remarks were put to Reform, a party spokesperson said: “Cllr Kenyon made these comments before entering politics. We are confident that he is an excellent candidate who will be a superb local MP for Makerfield.
“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.
“Anna Turley should ask herself what presents a bigger threat to women: tongue-in-cheek online comments, or her candidate who supports allowing men in women’s-only spaces.”
