By-election is win-win for me, says Reform candidate

The Reform UK candidate for the Makerfield by-election said the poll was a "win-win situation" for him because even if he loses he would "give the Labour Party a bloody nose".

The poll was called after Labour MP Josh Simons stepped down, a move he said he had undertaken to allow his party colleague Andy Burnham to run for Parliament and potentially mount a leadership bid.

Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester , Robert Kenyon said: "If I lose it I'm just a working class lad who has given two fingers to the establishment."

The former Army reservist also dismissed comments he made in relation to TV presenter Carol Vorderman as "squaddie humour".

Vorderman demanded an apology after Kenyon responded to a sexually graphic post about the TV presenter with a thumbs up and laughing emoji and a comment saying "He's only saying what we're all thinking".

Kenyon admitted the online comment made about Vorderman was "disgusting" but described it as a "crass joke".

He added: "The person I made it to was ex-military - so it was just of what we might call squaddie banter and to make light of it."

Kenyon is one of fourteen candidates contesting the by-election on 18 June.