- Angela Rayner has urged voters to back Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election, labelling his Reform UK opponent, Robert Kenyon, as 'Nigel Farage’s sexist puppet'.
- Robert Kenyon, Reform UK's candidate, has faced significant criticism for a series of now-deleted online comments about women, including a suggestion they cannot 'ref, drive or give directions'.
- Further unearthed posts from accounts linked to Kenyon objectified European women and made disparaging remarks about English women's appearances.
- Kenyon has repeatedly refused to apologise for the comments, claiming they were made 15 years ago and taken out of context, while Reform UK dismissed them as 'locker room banter'.
- The by-election is predicted to be a tight race, with recent polling indicating Andy Burnham holds a narrow five-point lead over Robert Kenyon, a margin within the error of polling.
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