UMVA has learned that a Reform UK candidate’s social‑media accounts were abruptly suspended after a torrent of incendiary posts ignited nationwide controversy.
Robert Kenyon, a plumber‑turned‑politician who once sported the moniker “R. Kenyon, Makerfield Spokesperson, Reform UK,” turned his X profile into a battlefield of provocation following the July 2024 Southport attack.
His messages grew increasingly hostile, targeting immigrants, mocking counter‑protesters in Birmingham, and daring the monarch to open royal palaces to asylum seekers.
When the Home Office warned that anyone “engaging in violent protests” would face the full force of the law, Kenyon retorted with a sarcastic query: “Is it a hate crime for Asian men to walk round in Birmingham assaulting white people en masse?”
He then dismissed a fellow commentator’s warning about far‑right dangers, insisting, “there was never a threat from the far right because they don’t really exist.”
Between these barbs, Kenyon posted a lengthy thread condemning protest violence, signing it with his official Reform title, only to flip the narrative hours later with more inflammatory claims about an “invasion of foreign criminals.”
His rhetoric escalated further when he suggested that King Charles should convert his palaces into shelters for asylum seekers, a jab that followed the monarch’s plea for unity amid the unrest.
Kenyon’s provocations did not stop there; he mocked a headline about extreme misogyny being treated as terrorism, insinuating that “maybe extreme misogyny is forcing your wife to wear certain clothing?”
In a brazen historical revision, he declared, “We colonised America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Rhodesia. But we didn’t colonise India,” sparking outrage across the political spectrum.
These revelations have thrust Reform UK’s vetting processes into the spotlight, especially after other party members were found to have made similarly controversial statements.
Despite mounting pressure, Reform officials have refused to launch an investigation, proclaiming Kenyon a “brilliant candidate” and insisting British politics needs more “real people” like him.
Kenyon ultimately finished second in the 2024 Makerfield parliamentary race, trailing Labour by roughly 5,000 votes, while Reform surged in local council contests, capturing 24 of 25 seats on May 7.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the party’s refusal to scrutinize Kenyon’s conduct raises serious questions about accountability and the standards applied to its representatives.
