Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon reveals his six key pledges for Makerfield ahead of by-election
Reform UK’s candidate for the Makerfield by-election has revealed his six key pledges for the constituency should he become its next MP.
Rob Kenyon has shared his plans following his appearance on BBC’s Question Time last night, alongside four of the other candidates.
Among the pledges, he intends to campaign for a new hospital in Wigan, regenerate high streets and oppose new HMOs (houses of multiple occupation).
On a national level, the father of two has made Reform’s policies to eliminate tax on overtime work, protecting women’s spaces and recruiting more police officers cornerstones of his election bid.
Mr Kenyon, who attended St Edmund Arrowsmith High School and has lived in the constituency for 13 years, says he would be the first MP for Makerfield born in the constituency.
He is a self-employed plumber and was elected as a councillor for Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North last month.
He said: “On almost every doorstep I’ve knocked in Makerfield, I'm hearing the same message: people feel left behind, ignored and taken for granted.
“I’m a local lad who’s sick of seeing our area neglected by Labour for decades. We deserve better: proper hospital services, thriving high streets and an end to illegal migrants being dumped in HMOs next door to decent Wigan families.
“That’s why I’m standing. I will fight tooth and nail for a new hospital in Wigan, to stop the migrant housing chaos and put local people first every single day as your MP.”
Mr Kenyon has pledged to:
- Campaign for a new hospital in Wigan. He says Wigan Infirmary “can no longer cope with the demand” and “hospital services and parking are clearly overstretched”.
- Regenerate high streets which have become “full of vape shops and Turkish barber shops” and demand transparency for a £6.6m grant given to Ashton’s high street last year.
- Deport all illegal migrants and stop HMOs, campaigning against out-of-town developers buying pubs and housing stock for cheap to house migrants.
- Eliminate tax on overtime, which he says will be “rewarding hard work, reinforcing strong work culture and putting more money in people’s pockets”. Mr Kenyon says a full-time nurse working six hours of overtime a week would save more than £1,300 a year.
- Protect women’s spaces and uphold the Supreme Court’s ruling by voting against any move to allow biological men into women’s only spaces, such as toilets and changing rooms.
- Fight for more police officers in Makerfield to tackle anti-social behaviour. Reform UK has a national drive to recruit 30,000 police officers over a five-year parliament by fast-tracking recruitment amongst veterans.
Voters in Makerfield will go to the polls on Thursday, June 18 to choose their next MP.
The by-election candidates are: Jake Austin (Liberal Democrats), Count Binface (Count Binface Party), Andy Burnham (Labour and Co-operative Party), Dan Clarke (Libertarian Party), John Dyer (independent), Ed Gemmell (Climate Party), Paul Gould (independent), Howling Laud Hope (Official Monster Raving Loony Party), Rob Kenyon (Reform UK), Robert Pownall (independent), Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain), Sarah Wakefield (Green Party), Peter Ward (Rejoin EU Bring in PR) and Michael Winstanley (Conservative).