‘Makerfield is a stepping stone for Andy Burnham – it’s the only place I want to represent’
Stills from Reform’s first campaign video for the Makerfield by-election featuring candidate Robert Kenyon. (Image: Reform UK)
Reform UK has issued its first campaign video for the Makerfield by-election, after announcing its candidate for the upcoming vote.
On Tuesday (May 19), Nigel Farage’s party announced councillor Robert Kenyon – who won his seat at local elections less than two weeks ago – would be standing for parliament.
Kenyon has stood for MP in the seat before, coming second in the 2024 general election and winning over 12,000 votes – fewer than 6,000 behind Labour.
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All eyes have been on Makerfield since the announcement last Thursday (May 14) that MP Josh Simons would be stepping down to make way for Andy Burnham, who was confirmed today as Labour’s candidate for the seat.
The by-election is expected to be a hotly contested battle between Labour and Reform, who achieved a stunning victory in Wigan at the local elections, claiming 24 out of 25 available seats.
Andy Burnham’s first campaign video, released yesterday, emphasised the Mayor’s local connections and success as Mayor – but seemed ultimately to suggest that his long-term ambitions lie at Number 10.
Reform have wasting no time in pointing this out.
“For Andy Burnham, Makerfield will be a stepping stone,” Kenyon says in the video. “For me it’s the only place I’ve ever wanted to represent. I would be the first person born in the constituency to become its MP.
“No MP that has ever stood here was born in the area.”
Taking to X, party leader Nigel Farage dubbed him the ‘plucky plumber taking on Open Borders Burnham’. Clips show Kenyon – who is a plumber and gas engineer by trade – walking and driving around Ashton-in-Makerfield, and prepping his kit to go out to a job.
“I get emotional at the chance that I could be representing people in Parliament,” he said. “It’s a massive honour. People will be thinking hang on, he serviced my boiler last week.”
“I think Labour and the majority of the other parties have got career politicians, who go to private school, university get a job at a think tank and before you know it they’re parachuted to somewhere to stand as an MP.
“They might know politics and Westminster but they don’t know the area or the people. You can read a book about something but you don’t understand it until you actually do it.”
The date of the by-election has yet to be confirmed but is widely rumoured to be June 18. Rupert Lowe’s party Restore Britain have confirmed a candidate, but the Greens have yet to do so.
“People in this area have been taken advantage of for far too long and it’s time to take a stand,” says Kenyon. “The Makerfield constituency deserves a local champion.
“You have got a voice, make that voice heard on June 18th and go out and vote for Reform UK.”
