This is so pathetic': Reform and Restore Britain lock horns in Makerfield byelection buildup

A series of early-morning posts and media revelations centered on immigration and Brexit stances. Lowe was described as sick making, while social media posts attributed to Kenyon suggested he did not support Brexit. Kenyon denied being aligned with stereotypes and stated support for free movement of people when it involved Europeans. Reform insisted Kenyon voted for Brexit. Reform MP Sarah Pochin suggested the Makerfield byelection was between Labour and Restore, then corrected herself. An internal Reform dispute followed when Zia Yusuf rebuked Robert Jenrick for equivocation on deporting foreign nationals in social housing, asserting such residents would automatically fail an economic test and be deported. Later, Reform and Restore continued trading accusations, including Kenyon accusing Lowe of lying about immigration views.

"At 5.37am, Tice said a column describing Lowe as sick making was superb. Meanwhile, the Times revealed social media posts attributed to Kenyon that suggested he did not support Brexit. So anyone who thinks I love Trump, voted Brexit, read the Daily Mail, live in the 1950s, a Tory and 103 is wrong. I'm none of the above, he wrote in March 2019. In another post, Kenyon said he supported the free movement of people as long as it involved Europeans."

"Reform insisted Kenyon did vote for Brexit. At 8.12am, Reform MP Sarah Pochin let slip just how much Restore seemed to have got inside the heads of senior figures in the party. In an interview with Talk, she said the Makerfield byelection was a two-horse race between Labour and Restore. She hurriedly corrected the mistake. I'll be sacked for saying that! Reform and Labour, she said."

"Apparently not content with a party-on-party spat, just after 11am, an internal Reform squabble broke out. Its home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, very publicly rebuked Jenrick for equivocating in a Sky News interview about whether Reform would deport foreign nationals who live in social housing. Reposting a clip of Jenrick's answer, Yusuf said: Robert's answer is not Reform policy. As the person responsible for our deportation plan I want ensure people know where we stand: if a foreign national lives in social housing at taxpayer expense, they automatically fail our economic test and will be deported."

"By the afternoon it was back to the ongoing Reform-Restore ding dong. Kenyon accused Lowe of lying about his stance on immigration. Someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth is trying to lie about the only working-class local man in the race, he posted."

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