A Reform UK politician was accused of “demonising working class men” in a furious clash on BBC Question Time.
GB News presenter Matt Goodwin, who ran as the Reform candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, was criticised by comedian and podcaster Deborah Frances-White for previously endorsing another Reform candidate, local plumber Robert Kenyon.
In the run-up to the Makerfield by-election in summer, it emerged Kenyon had once claimed women “can’t ref, drive or give instructions” online.
He also said women presenting rugby games on TV “aren’t up to the job and only there to tick a box”, adding: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”
Kenyon once responded to a sexually graphic post about TV presenter Carol Vorderman with a thumbs up and a laughing emoji, writing: “He’s only saying what we’re all thinking.”
During a wider question on protecting women and girls from men in power, Frances-White rounded on Goodwin for not speaking up against Kenyon’s divisive remarks.
“You endorsed Rob Kenyon to stand for Makerfield,” the host of the Guilty Feminist podcast said. “Rob Kenyon was excused by Nigel Farage as this is just ‘laddish banter’.
“In fact Nigel Farage said, ‘you will hear this banter in every pub in this country tonight.’”
She said she had asked men in pubs what they thought of those comments, and they described Kenyon’s remarks as “disgusting”.
“You are demonising brown working class men and white working class men. You’re basically demonising working class men as misogynists,” Frances-White claimed.
The room applauded her comments, but Goodwin cut in: “I’ve not demonised anybody.
“What I’ve said was the sexual exploitation of children in this country is something that we as a country have still not addressed properly and it is still going on today.
“Regarding candidates, who have made absolutely disgusting statements – I campaigned once in that seat – every single political party on this panel has wrestled with the same issue.
“I’m not going to sit here and name the Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Labour politicians. This is not about Reform UK.
“This is about a problem which is endemic in our society. I’m happy to say I would not campaign for that person ever again, and personally would not want that person to stand for Reform UK ever again.”
He added that it was “not his view” that all men use such “banter”.
Goodwin later claimed that the government was “dragging its feet” over the grooming gangs scandal.
He also alleged that Labour had previously “played it down” because it wants “votes in certain parts of this country”.
Labour minister Luke Pollard said that was an “utterly disgusting” claim and a “party political point”, urging him to talk about the victims instead.
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