Robert Kenyon, Reform UK’s chosen candidate for the Makerfield byelection against Andy Burnham, was previously Facebook friends with Gary Raikes – the founder of the New British Union, which advocates for a “fascist revolution” – according to reports by The National Scotland and Searchlight magazine, backed by screenshot evidence. Reform UK denied the claim when first approached, asked for a screenshot, was provided one, and did not respond further.
Kenyon was announced as Reform’s candidate this week for the byelection that will determine whether Burnham can return to parliament and enter the Labour leadership race, as we reported in our full Makerfield coverage. He stood in the same constituency for Reform in the 2024 general election, where he came second to Labour’s Josh Simons.
What the reports found
Searchlight magazine – which has monitored far-right and fascist movements in the UK for decades – reported during the 2024 general election campaign that Kenyon was Facebook friends with Gary Raikes. The Times subsequently reported that 41 Reform candidates in the 2024 election were Facebook friends with Raikes, though did not specifically name Kenyon.
Raikes is the founder of the New British Union, an organisation whose own literature advocates for a “fascist revolution.” He was previously the Scotland leader of the British National Party before founding the New British Union.
The National Scotland published a screenshot showing Raikes appearing in Kenyon’s Facebook friend list, with Raikes’s profile image displaying the words “New British Union.” The newspaper states that the profile ID in the screenshot matches a currently active Facebook account in Kenyon’s name.
Raikes no longer appears in Kenyon’s friends list. His Facebook account’s cover photo, uploaded on 14 May – after Kenyon was being selected as Reform’s byelection candidate – states: “Hi, I’m moth balling this account so have removed all my friends on there.”
A second Facebook friend visible in the original screenshot remains listed as a friend on Kenyon’s account.
Kenyon’s X account – operating under the name Makerfield_RFK – has also been suspended. The Conservative Party’s press office raised the suspension publicly, asking: “Care to explain what Robert had his Twitter account suspended for?” X’s account page states only that it “suspends accounts which violate the X Rules” without specifying the reason.
Reform’s response
When The National first approached Reform for a response, the party said there were not “any sort of screenshots to evidence your claim” and asked: “Do you have any?” The newspaper provided the unredacted screenshot. Reform did not respond further.
The non-response after being provided with the evidence is itself significant. It does not constitute a denial of the substance of the report.
The broader pattern – 41 candidates in 2024
The Kenyon case is not the first time a Reform candidate’s connection to Raikes has been raised. When the Times reported in 2024 that 41 Reform general election candidates had been Facebook friends with him, Farage was challenged on the finding on Good Morning Britain. His response: “Look, most of our candidates are not political sophisticates. Alright?”
The answer was notable less for what it said about the 41 candidates than for what it implied about Reform’s candidate vetting process. As we reported in our full piece on Reform’s post-election vetting failures, four newly elected Reform councillors were suspended or resigned within 72 hours of last week’s local election results – including one for sharing a post depicting a bomb being dropped on Mecca, one for alleged racist posts and two in an internal leadership dispute. The party claims to operate “some of the strongest vetting procedures in the country.”
The Makerfield context
The revelation arrives at a specific and significant moment. Kenyon will be Reform’s candidate against Andy Burnham in a byelection that is being described as one of the most consequential in a generation. As we reported in our Makerfield byelection analysis, Farage has vowed to “throw absolutely everything” at the contest, viewing a Burnham victory as creating a far more formidable long-term Labour opponent than Starmer.
Reform won 50.4% of the Makerfield ward votes at last week’s local elections. Burnham won 62% in the constituency at his mayoral race. The byelection will test whether Burnham’s personal pull can bridge that gap against a Reform party whose candidate’s background is now under scrutiny before the campaign has formally begun.
The question of whether a Facebook friendship constitutes ideological agreement is a legitimate one. Social media connections do not automatically imply endorsement of someone’s views. What is notable in the Kenyon case is the specific nature of who Raikes is – the founder of an organisation that explicitly advocates for a fascist revolution, a former BNP Scotland leader – and the timing of the removal of friends from his account, which occurred after he was being considered as a byelection candidate rather than when Searchlight originally reported the connection in 2024.
Reform has been approached for further comment.
