A brutal civil war on the populist right has exploded into chaos ahead of the Makerfield byelection — with Reform UK and Rupert Lowe’s rival party Restore Britain trading insults, leaked messages and social media attacks in a bitter public slugfest.

What should have been a straight fight between Labour’s Andy Burnham and Reform candidate Robert Kenyon has instead descended into days of infighting, personal digs and political humiliation. Elon Musk even waded into the drama, appearing to back Restore Britain and piling pressure on Nigel Farage.

The week kicked off on Saturday 23 May when Lowe, the former Reform MP ousted from the party after bullying allegations, released canvassing figures claiming Restore candidate Rebecca Shepherd was polling at 24.6% in Makerfield. The figures were based on a sample of 1,010 people.

But the mood shifted fast after a Survation poll of 369 voters put Restore on just 7%, with Reform on 40% and Labour’s Andy Burnham ahead on 43%. Farage seized on the numbers and insisted Reform’s Robert Kenyon was “the only candidate who can stop Andy Burnham”.

Then came Elon Musk.

On Sunday 24 May, the billionaire reposted Lowe on X with the message: “Restore Britain.” The post exploded online and Lowe’s complaints about “dishonest polling” racked up more than 32 million views.

A day later Musk doubled down again, reposting another Lowe attack on Farage with the caption: “Only Restore Britain can save Britain.” Lowe then targeted Reform justice spokesman Robert Jenrick, accusing him of importing “thousands and thousands of third world rapists, sex pests and scumbags” during his time as immigration minister.

Farage hit back furiously. He claimed Musk was trying to split the British right and dismissed Restore as “one man with a social media account”.

But the drama was only getting started.

On Monday 25 May, Reform MP Danny Kruger found himself defending deleted posts by Reform candidate Robert Kenyon that endorsed misogynistic comments about broadcaster Carol Vorderman. Kruger admitted the remarks were “inappropriate” but argued they had been made before Kenyon became a public figure.

Vorderman demanded an apology.

Meanwhile Reform figure Matt Goodwin mocked Restore candidate Rebecca Shepherd online, prompting Lowe to fire back with a swipe at Kenyon’s Vorderman controversy. Then another row exploded after Jenrick leaked messages allegedly sent by Restore spokeswoman Orla Minihane praising him and asking for help becoming an MP.

Minihane accused Jenrick of playing “dirty politics”. Journalist Isabel Oakeshott then mocked Minihane online, prompting Minihane to brand Oakeshott “pathetic”. Fresh posts attributed to Kenyon emerged in The Times suggesting he had opposed Brexit and supported European free movement. Reform insisted he had voted Leave.

Then came an embarrassing slip-up from Reform MP Sarah Pochin during a Talk interview. She accidentally described the Makerfield contest as a “two-horse race between Labour and Restore” before hurriedly correcting herself to say “Reform and Labour”.

Even Reform figures began publicly clashing with each other. Home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf openly rebuked Robert Jenrick over deportation policy after a Sky News interview, declaring Jenrick’s answer was “not Reform policy”.

Hours later, Kenyon accused Lowe of lying about his immigration stance, branding him “someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth”.

The next bombshell dropped on Wednesday 27 May when social media posts attributed to Kenyon reportedly suggested Russia was “within their rights” to invade Crimea in 2014. Other posts criticised Brexit supporters for spouting “nationalist pish” and warned leaving the EU would damage the economy.

Despite the controversy, Reform continued backing Kenyon. Farage instead complained to the Charity Commission about anti-extremism group Hope Not Hate after it highlighted offensive deleted comments linked to Kenyon.

By Thursday, Lowe and Farage were openly mocking each other again online. After Farage backed discussions around banning cousin marriage in Britain but stopped short of fully endorsing a ban, Lowe pounced.

“This is all so pathetic,” Lowe wrote. “Commit to banning it. Show some balls for a change.”

With polling day looming, the Makerfield byelection has become less a battle against Labour — and more a savage war between rival factions of Britain’s populist right.

‘This is so pathetic’: Reform and Restore Britain lock horns in Makerfield byelection buildup

And so it begins. Neither of them have an ounce of care about what's best for the country, only what's best for them, their mates, and their egos.

Quite pathetic to watch.

Rabble. P issup and Brewery comes to mind.

11 minutes ago, Roadsternut said:

Rabble. P issup and Brewery comes to mind.

I'd love to know where our old mate Bazzer sits on this. Which one loves hanging flags more? Which one can shout the loudest at boats? Which one wants the Lord's Prayer more than the other?

Good righteous super religious people who only care about sovrinty innit.

I see fisticuffs outside the European Parliament steps .

again !

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

I'd love to know where our old mate Bazzer sits on this. Which one loves hanging flags more? Which one can shout the loudest at boats? Which one wants the Lord's Prayer more than the other?

Good righteous super religious people who only care about sovrinty innit.

Who? Not sure what Barry Gardiner has to do with this.

3 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

And so it begins. Neither of them have an ounce of care about what's best for the country, only what's best for them, their mates, and their egos.

Quite pathetic to watch.

Sounds like you are talking about the Labour leadership contest and the imploding of the party !!! :)

Meanwhile the 400 unsuitable Labour MPs wait for a new suitable leader to be elected as an MP.

Makerfield, It's all a bit of harmless fun really!

Edited May 29May 29 by BritManToo

Ai should run countries. Don't need pollies.

Reform will prove to be a 'puff of wind' as time goes on. The intervention of 'Restore' is a disaster for them right now, hastening the irrelevance of opportunist Farage.

25 minutes ago, TorquayFan said:

Reform will prove to be a 'puff of wind' as time goes on. The intervention of 'Restore' is a disaster for them right now, hastening the irrelevance of opportunist Farage.

So you prefer high taxes and high immigration. Like a frog sitting in boiling water and not getting out.

14 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

So you prefer high taxes and high immigration. Like a frog sitting in boiling water and not getting out.

When Farage and Lowe talk about cutting taxes, they aren’t talking about cutting your taxes.

They are both representing themselves and the rich.

Both are pocketing fortunes, winter lose they’ll make money.

19 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

When Farage and Lowe talk about cutting taxes, they aren’t talking about cutting your taxes.

Farage says he will remove tax on overtime work for people on a lower salary . People on a higher salary will still have to pay tax on overtime work

34 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

So you prefer high taxes and high immigration. Like a frog sitting in boiling water and not getting out.

Thanks for your reply Rocky. But it's trite !

Re. high taxes and immigration, I deplore both as do you!

But here's the reality, should Reform win the next election, they will face the same paralysing problems that Labour took over from the Tories.

2 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Farage says he will remove tax on overtime work for people on a lower salary . People on a higher salary will still have to pay tax on overtime work

Nick that's just 'posturing' and won't make any impact on the UK"s problems. A good idea but he'll need a million more like that to turn this tanker. Typical empty posturing from the £5 million man.

Just now, TorquayFan said:

Nick that's just 'posturing' and won't make any impact on the UK"s problems. A good idea but he'll need a million more like that to turn this tanker. Typical empty posturing from the £5 million man.

Just pointing out that the tax cuts are not just for the rich, as was claimed

The UK's problems won't be cured by tinkering.

April's Govt. borrowing was £357 for each man, woman and child or say £1428 for a Family of 4, equating to £4K p.a. or £16K p.a. for a Family. High taxes - really ?

All the Political Parties need to face this madness, as interest on Govt. borrowing already costs as much as the NHS.

Farage is a Poser who won't go the distance, (and wouldn't know what to do if he did ! LOL ).

20 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Farage says he will remove tax on overtime work for people on a lower salary . People on a higher salary will still have to pay tax on overtime work

Sounds good doesn’t it?!

But it’s nothing more than a un-costed political gimmick that in truth is backing low wages At cost to the treasury.

He’s not backing higher wages and he’s not explaining how his fanciful cut to overtime taxes would be paid for.

1 hour ago, TorquayFan said:

Reform will prove to be a 'puff of wind' as time goes on. The intervention of 'Restore' is a disaster for them right now, hastening the irrelevance of opportunist Farage.

I appreciate all reactions including to date, 4 'thumbs down' to this. That tells me something about the power of 'anti-incumbency', the ruling 'unthinking' Political position in current times. Frightening.

Better instead, to demand of all Political Parties that they face the realities!

Edited May 30May 30 by TorquayFan

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Farage says he will remove tax on overtime work for people on a lower salary . People on a higher salary will still have to pay tax on overtime work

Do zero hour contracts get overtime?

1 hour ago, TorquayFan said:

Thanks for your reply Rocky. But it's trite !

Re. high taxes and immigration, I deplore both as do you!

But here's the reality, should Reform win the next election, they will face the same paralysing problems that Labour took over from the Tories.

Nick that's just 'posturing' and won't make any impact on the UK"s problems. A good idea but he'll need a million more like that to turn this tanker. Typical empty posturing from the £5 million man.

The only cure for the UK problems is to stop giving money away.

No money for Ukraine or India or France.

No money for immigrants.

Defend the channel with gunboats that shoot and kill all invaders.

Get rid of all the armed forces not operating gunboats.

Forget net zero.

Leave NATO and the UN.

It's a really easy fix!

The trouble is everyone wants something different bigger pensions, social care, better schools, childcare, better roads, better NHS, bigger defence spending, lower fuel costs, cheaper food.

All politicians will promise the earth until they actually have to deliver then thats when reality hits yes they can deliver on say no tax on overtime but that only means they will have to get the money they have lost from somewhere else and what would happen if everyone worked a 5 hour week with 35hrs overtime. Nice if you could get it.

Every government needs money and they all will have a very large percentage of the money they take in that cant be cut so unless they can increase the amount to money they receive they have little room for manoeuvre, they get the money from taxes in one form or another the only difference is how who what and how much they tax.

So all anyone is really voting for is who and what they want to be taxed the most.

Death and taxes it's a fact of life.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

The only cure for the UK problems is to stop giving money away.

No money for Ukraine or India or France.

No money for immigrants.

Defend the channel with gunboats that shoot and kill all invaders.

Get rid of all the armed forces not operating gunboats.

Forget net zero.

Leave NATO and the UN.

It's a really easy fix!

Reactionary answers to complex problems usually are simple.

2 hours ago, TorquayFan said:

The UK's problems won't be cured by tinkering.

April's Govt. borrowing was £357 for each man, woman and child or say £1428 for a Family of 4, equating to £4K p.a. or £16K p.a. for a Family. High taxes - really ?

All the Political Parties need to face this madness, as interest on Govt. borrowing already costs as much as the NHS.

Farage is a Poser who won't go the distance, (and wouldn't know what to do if he did ! LOL ).

Mass deportation of parasites will be a huge help.

6 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Mass deportation of parasites will be a huge help.

The rightwing argument against taxing the parasites is that they will leave of their own volition, though perhaps not to Dubai.

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The only cure for the UK problems is to stop giving money away.

No money for Ukraine or India or France.

No money for immigrants.

Defend the channel with gunboats that shoot and kill all invaders.

Get rid of all the armed forces not operating gunboats.

Forget net zero.

Leave NATO and the UN.

It's a really easy fix!

Abolishing the British Nationality Act 1948 & 1981 would also be an important step.

If paper Brits don't add anything and won't leave, stop their bennys and stick them in workhouses.
This would also be an excellent solution for the criminal 'chavvy' shell suit uniformed underclass: keep them busy and their minds off doing crime and creating drama - as well as making them productive members of society.

6 hours ago, TorquayFan said:

Reform will prove to be a 'puff of wind' as time goes on. The intervention of 'Restore' is a disaster for them right now, hastening the irrelevance of opportunist Farage.

Yep Reform are another establishment stitch up - rebranded tories with a heavy muslim prescence but people have taken so much punishment / BS from labour and the tories that they'll probably win the next election.

Yookay will likely soon have sectarian war like Northern Ireland once the true natives realise they can't vote their way out of this and are forced to take things into their own hands

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Reactionary answers to complex problems usually are simple.

Once again you add nothing to the debate

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The only cure for the UK problems is to stop giving money away.

No money for Ukraine or India or France.

No money for immigrants.

Defend the channel with gunboats that shoot and kill all invaders.

Get rid of all the armed forces not operating gunboats.

Forget net zero.

Leave NATO and the UN.

It's a really easy fix!

It obviously isn't.

You would have to be exceedingly naive to believe it was.

Extremely complex and requiring a reset that is probably too late to achieve.

The UK is lost it's identity and the country has sold out to woke agendas.

25 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

It obviously isn't.

You would have to be exceedingly naive to believe it was.

Extremely complex and requiring a reset that is probably too late to achieve.

The UK is lost it's identity and the country has sold out to woke agendas.

Spain was at one point 95% muslim.

It ain't over til it's over.
Whites can be extremely deadly in the circumstances demand it..
Higher IQ's than people from other places also makes them/us very dangerous

Reform UK’s Makerfield by-election candidate Robert Kenyon has been plunged into fresh controversy after a new batch of online comments linked to him sparked accusations that he is "not fit to be an MP".

The row erupted after posts attributed to an account linked to Kenyon emerged, containing remarks about television presenter Emma Crosby, girl band The Saturdays, Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis, singer Diana Vickers and former Wigan Warriors rugby player Feka Paleaaesina.

Among the remarks were comments posted on an online rugby fan forum during the 2010s. One post referred to members of The Saturdays and described a fantasy involving the group "in nothing but a pair of Wigan home socks at the bottom of me bed". The same discussion also referenced "a picture of The Saturdays wearing nothing but her birthday suits".

In another post, the user appeared to comment on broadcaster Emma Crosby, writing: "Sorry Ernie She's fit off GMTV, that new one Emma Crosby", before adding that they were "getting a hardwang never mind a wetwang".

The account also appeared to reference athlete Jessica Ennis, posting: "Jessica Ennis……shwing!", an apparent nod to the Nineties comedy Wayne's World.

Singer Diana Vickers was also targeted in the posts. The user described her as "shocking at singing" and claimed she "sounds like an asthmatic yorkshire terrier trying to shift a bit of phlegm".

Another remark focused on former Wigan Warriors player Feka Paleaaesina. Discussing the rugby star's future, the user compared him to "a nice girlfriend who has put a bit of weight on", adding: "you just don't love them".

The comments were attributed to a forum account using the username "post". In other messages, the account reportedly identified its Twitter handle as @robkenyon1 and promoted Kenyon's book, The Blood Waltz.

The latest revelations come after previous reports highlighted other controversial remarks linked to Kenyon online. Earlier messages showed interactions with far-right figures and included sexual comments about broadcaster Carol Vorderman.

Last week, further reporting revealed an account linked to Kenyon had claimed women cannot "ref, drive or give directions" and stated: "I'm sexist, sorry but I am."

The same account also made comments about the appearance of English and European women.

Reform UK did not dispute the authenticity of the latest comments. Instead, a party spokesperson dismissed them as "locker room banter".

The response triggered a fierce reaction from Labour Party chair Anna Turley, who launched a blistering attack on the Reform candidate.

Turley said: "Robert Kenyon clearly has a problem with women. It's staggering that Reform try and shrug comments like this off as locker room talk."

She added that the comments were "degrading and completely unacceptable" and argued that women and girls could have no confidence that Kenyon would stand up for them.

Turley also claimed Reform remained "mired in scandal" while Labour's Andy Burnham was focused on securing investment and a better future for local residents.

The escalating row has placed renewed attention on Reform's campaign in Makerfield at a crucial stage of the contest.

Despite the criticism, Reform stood firmly behind its candidate. The party stressed that the comments were made before Kenyon entered politics and insisted he remained the right person to represent the constituency.

A Reform spokesperson said: "We are confident that he is an excellent candidate who will be a superb local MP for Makerfield."

The party argued that Kenyon's lack of polish as a professional politician was one of his strengths, describing him as a "straight-talking, effective voice for normal working people".

Reform also hit back at Labour, with the spokesperson questioning whether online comments or Labour's stance on women's-only spaces represented a bigger issue.

With polling day approaching, the dispute has become the latest flashpoint in an increasingly heated Makerfield by-election campaign, ensuring scrutiny of Kenyon and Reform UK is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

Reform candidate 'not fit to be MP' after new 'degrading' comments