- Nigel Farage defended his Makerfield by-election candidate, Robert Kenyon, over past misogynistic and anti-abortion comments, dismissing them as "pub talk" and "laddish things".
- Kenyon, a Reform UK candidate, had made comments on a now-deleted X account, including supporting an offensive post about Carol Vorderman, claiming women cannot drive, and stating "I'm sexist".
- He also described abortion as a "cowardly act of murdering a defenceless baby" and suggested women use it for "vanity purposes".
- Farage, speaking at a press conference in Makerfield, claimed the comments were a decade old and taken out of context, while also unveiling a new tax policy for the self-employed.
- The Makerfield by-election is scheduled for Thursday 18 June, with growing speculation that Labour's Andy Burnham is expected to win.
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