Question Time Audience Member Calls Out Sexist Election Candidate

A BBC Question Time audience member savaged the Reform UK candidate in a crunch by-election over his “sexist” views.

Robert Kenyon has been forced to defend social media posts he made before being chosen to stand for the party in Makerfield, Greater Manchester.

The plumber wrote that women can’t “ref, drive or give directions” on an online rugby fan forum in the 2010s.

He said women presenting rugby games on TV “aren’t up to the job and only there to tick a box”, adding: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”

On the same forum, he also said that women have abortions get them for “vanity purposes” and so they can “shag anyone they want”.

In a now-deleted social media post, he also interacted with a message sent on X to former Countdown host Carol Vorderman, which said: “Happy birthday Carol, my God I would love to smell and lick your arsehole.”

Kenyon replied: “He’s only saying what we’re all thinking,” along with a thumbs up and a laughing emoji.

The Reform candidate, who is up against Labour’s Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and a former cabinet minister, has insisted he no longer holds the views he expressed before entering politics.

But in a special edition of Question Time broadcast on Thursday night from Makerfield, one woman in the audience said: “I’d rather have a career politician than a plumber who’s a sexist.”

Her comment was met with loud applause from other audience members.

Kenyon said he “won’t accept that label” and insisted a lot of his comments were made 15 years ago.

“I hold my hands up, I’ve made mistakes,” he said.

Kenyon added: “I was brought up by a single parent and my grandma, who was a widow, and an older sister. So I was brought up by women. I’ve got nothing but respect for women.

“I’ve made mistakes. I said things years ago that I wouldn’t say now and I definitely don’t believe that.”

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