Robert Kenyon, the Reform UK candidate standing in the Makerfield byelection, has come under renewed scrutiny following the surfacing of deleted posts on X in which he appeared to minimise the severity of Covid-19 and express scepticism about vaccine efficacy, according to reporting by The Guardian.
What the Posts Appeared to Show
The now-removed posts reportedly included an instance in which Kenyon responded to a person who had contracted the virus by advising them to
stop having boosters— a remark that, taken in context, suggested doubt about the protective value of Covid-19 booster doses. Across the deleted content, Kenyon appeared to question both how dangerous the disease was and whether vaccines offered meaningful protection against it.
The posts have since been removed from the platform, though their contents were captured and reported before deletion.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Online Activity
The Covid-related posts are not the first of Kenyon's social media history to attract attention during the campaign. Earlier reporting had already brought to light messages in which he interacted with figures associated with the far right, as well as posts expressing strong backing for Donald Trump. The latest revelations add a public-health dimension to what has become an ongoing examination of his digital footprint.
Context: Covid-19 Misinformation Remains a Public Health Concern
Scepticism toward Covid-19 vaccines and the minimisation of the disease's severity have been widely studied as components of a broader misinformation landscape that emerged during and after the pandemic. Public health bodies and independent researchers have consistently documented the clinical burden of Covid-19, including its toll on hospitalisation rates and excess mortality, particularly before widespread vaccination. The scientific consensus on vaccine efficacy, while nuanced across different variants and time periods, has not supported the view that booster doses are without benefit for at-risk populations.
Whether statements of the kind attributed to Kenyon — made in the context of informal social media exchanges rather than formal policy positions — reflect his current views or would influence any legislative role he might hold remains unclear. Reform UK has not, according to The Guardian's report, issued a formal response to the specific content of the deleted posts.
Byelection Background
The Makerfield byelection has drawn national attention in part because of Reform UK's broader electoral ambitions. The party has positioned itself as a disruptive force in British politics, and candidate selection and vetting have come under heightened press scrutiny as a result. Kenyon's case illustrates the degree to which historical social media activity has become a standard area of journalistic investigation for candidates across parties.
The deletion of the posts before their wider circulation raises questions about the durability of online records as a form of political accountability, a theme that has recurred in coverage of candidates at multiple levels of government in recent electoral cycles.