Reform UK admits party has a ‘woman problem’ after Makerfield by-election

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleReform UK's significant defeat in the Makerfield by-election has triggered internal recriminations, with a senior party board member publicly acknowledging the party has a “woman problem”. The party's candidate in Makerfield, Robert Kenyon, faced widespread criticism for past crude social media remarks about women and for proudly identifying as a “sexist”, which alienated potential female voters. Despite the defeat, Reform UK declined invitations to appear on prominent Sunday morning political shows, including Sky and GB News, with a spokesman stating they typically only participate if invited by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg show. Questions are now being raised within the party regarding its tactics, the lack of clear policies, and a consistent failure to select suitable candidates for high-profile by-elections, following previous controversies like Matt Goodwin's selection for Gorton and Denton. Gawain Towler, a long-time ally of Nigel Farage, described the Makerfield result as a 'wake-up call' in his substack, urging the party to broaden its appeal to women and criticising the party's dismissal of Kenyon's remarks as mere 'banter'. In fullReform refuses to appear on Sunday shows after Makerfield loss as Farage ally admits party has ‘a woman problem’Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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