Reform UK Makerfield candidate faces scrutiny over archived vaccine scepticism
Archived messages reveal the plumber advised a sick individual to stop taking boosters and dismissed the severity of the pandemic, prompting calls for his removal from the ballot.
Robert Kenyon, the Reform UK candidate contesting the Makerfield byelection on 18 June, is facing intensified scrutiny following the discovery of archived social media posts that reveal his scepticism regarding the seriousness of Covid-19 and the efficacy of vaccines. The revelations come as Kenyon prepares to face Labour’s Andy Burnham in the upcoming vote, with junior health minister Sharon Hodgson condemning the comments as entirely unfit for public office.
The archived posts, sourced from Kenyon’s now-deleted X account and a defunct rugby league forum, show the plumber actively minimising pandemic risks. In July 2022, Kenyon claimed he contracted the virus asymptomatically and that four others on his course did the same, using this anecdotal evidence to downplay the threat of new variants. He further argued that news of variants affecting children was a tactic to “scare parents into getting their kids jabbed,” stating in January 2022, “I smell a rat.”
In February 2023, Kenyon advised an individual ill with the virus to “wait longer, take vitamins, stop having boosters.” The same month, he quote-tweeted a Sky News post featuring Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, with abusive language directed at the official. These posts add to previous reports of Kenyon interacting with far-right figures and expressing strong support for Donald Trump.
Sharon Hodgson, the junior health minister, issued a sharp rebuke, noting that over 200,000 people died from Covid across Britain. She stated it was “beyond the pale” for a candidate to minimise pandemic risks and undermine vaccine confidence. Hodgson argued that encouraging people not to take potentially life-saving booster vaccines exposed Kenyon’s unfitness for office, drawing a direct line between his past rhetoric and current governance standards.
A Reform UK spokesperson clarified that Kenyon received all his Covid jabs during the pandemic and that his children are fully vaccinated. The party described Kenyon as a “straight-talking” voice for working people rather than a polished politician, noting the comments were made long before he entered politics. Separately, broadcaster Carol Vorderman has publicly asked Kenyon to apologise for past “disgusting comments” he made about her on X.
The controversy highlights broader tensions within Reform UK regarding health messaging, with party adviser Aseem Malhotra previously arguing that vaccines created havoc in the body. Kenyon, who previously stood for Nigel Farage’s party in the 2024 general election, now faces a byelection where his past digital footprint is under intense examination by opponents and the public alike.