Reform MPs blame Starmer for their own inability to win seat

Reform MP-hopeful Robert Kenyon lost in the Makerfield by-election by over 9,000 votes, which is likely to have left the far-right party feeling pretty sore.

However, most who face such a defeat would look to where they didn’t hit the mark with voters — but not grievance-fueling Reform UK whose MPs and leader have come out blaming Starmer’s abysmal leadership for why they didn’t win enough votes to secure the seat.

The bigoted party’s deputy leader came first, with Richard Tice telling the BBC that people who actually wanted to vote Reform wound up voting for Labour ‘because they had to’.

Once again, the party’s MPs show how little humility they possess and how little they are capable of even remote reflection on why their performance never backs up their egotistical claims.

This underscores once again that, for Reform, there will never be responsibility, but there will always be grievance.

Richard Tice is asked about issues with Robert Kenyon & whether he's reflected on Reforms choice of candidate.

Not much sign of reflection from Tice, who says the key takeaway is a safe Labour area wants the PM out. "Its just as simple as that", he claims. pic.twitter.com/zHXUDa6Xa1

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) June 19, 2026

Grievance, never reflection or accountability

Like is typical of bigoted people, Reform MPs are coming out today to say that their loss is not possibly because of their choice in a sexist MP candidate or anything to do with their politics of hate. Apparently, the reason Burnham won is because he is ‘high-profile’ and contesting a safe Labour seat — a claim they have previously stated as being the seats which Reform were most likely to win.

This all-round loss is likely a sucker punch to Farage’s party and its career politicians who saw victory as a given, stoking hate and division across the UK. Most would take this as an opportunity to reflect — even Starmer recognised a period of reflection after the abysmal defeat in the local elections in May.

Even that shred of humility is lost on Tice, as he highlighted speaking to the BBC:

Presenter: You’re suggesting and your position this morning is that the people who wanted to vote reform, your supporters, actually voted Labour. That accounts for everything.

Tice: I didn’t say it counts for everything. Obviously, our vote share went up from 31% to about 35%. So relative to the last general election. But we had people tell us on the doors… I voted reform at the locals, but in order to guarantee to get Starmer out, I’m going to vote for Burnham, that’s the answer to your question

Presenter: Have you reflected upon your own candidates and whether there were issues and problems that caused Reform’s vote to do not as well as you might have hoped.

Tice: Well, it was the same candidate who fought for us in the general election and who stood as a local councillor and did very well and did increase and did better at this time around than he did at the last general election. So, look, and then you can always reflect on lots of issues the key takeaway from this is that safe Labour areas for 100 years, they want the Prime Minister out and that’s when that that’s the key takeaway.

Presenter: Have you had cause to reflect on Mr. Kenyon’s comments, about which he was questioned a lot and he got a chance to answer for himself about some of his previous messages on social media, have you had cause to reflect you as deputy party leader about your choice of candidate? Has that occurred to any point that that might have been a factor, particularly amongst women voters?

According to Tice, this result isn’t ordinary people sending a clear message that they don’t want Reform. God forbid they actually reflect on what they were offering to voters. No, instead, it is all because they just want the PM gone.

However, Tice misses the point that this suggests those voters think Burnham could do a better job than Starmer – which arguably takes ammunition away from the far-right party of the super-rich.

Look, he apologised for his comments. He’s the same candidate that stood in the previous two elections.

The reality is, as I have said, that Labour held a safe 100-year constituency for them because they had a high-profile candidate and voters voted very, very strongly to give a clear message that they wanted the Prime Minister gone.

That’s the key takeaway. And it’s just as simple as that.

It’s the Reform line apparently

As mentioned, the deputy leader isn’t the only one trying to save face:

Gareth Southgate was sacked after coming second twice by the way… https://t.co/dN0GqCQd3m

— Florence Lox 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@floboflo) June 19, 2026

They've obviously all been sent out the "We let Labour win to beat Labour" memo 😂

First Ticey and now Nadine.

"Reform came 2nd because of Burnham & anti-Starmer.." pic.twitter.com/r8K7V5dxWy

— Narinder Kaur (@narindertweets) June 19, 2026

Those who judge the most, reflect the least

As we often see in society, and as many will recognise from their own relationships, those who judge others the most often possess the least ability to reflect on their own actions.

That requires humility — and those who have that skill are far less likely to throw around demeaning and derogatory judgement towards others.

Therefore, this shameful arrogance from Reform politicians is hardly a surprise.

Featured image via the Canary