Key facts
- Restore Britain, a new hard-right political party, plans to contest every seat in the UK at the next general election.
- The party is led by Rupert Lowe, a former member of Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
- Restore Britain's strategy could significantly impact Reform UK's electoral prospects by splitting the right-wing vote.
- The party has established a significant online presence and is building local branches across the country.
- Restore-backed candidates achieved success in recent local elections, winning all nine seats they contested.
Rupert Lowe, a businessman and former member of Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, has launched a new political entity, Restore Britain, with ambitions to contest every seat in the United Kingdom at the next general election. Lowe denies any personal animosity towards Farage, despite being expelled from Reform UK and facing allegations from his former colleagues. Restore Britain, described as a hard-right, anti-immigration party, has established a significant online presence and is rapidly setting up local branches, with claims of having branches in around 550 of the UK's 650 constituencies.
Research suggests that Restore Britain could significantly impact Reform UK's electoral performance. Pollster Luke Tryl estimates that a full slate of Restore candidates could cost Farage's party approximately 70 seats, particularly in close-run contests. This is due to the UK's first-past-the-post electoral system, where splits on the right can benefit opposition parties. While Restore Britain's national polling numbers are in the single digits, its presence could be decisive in marginal constituencies.
The party has already shown signs of electoral potential, with Restore-backed candidates winning all nine seats they contested in recent local elections on Norfolk County Council. In the upcoming Makerfield by-election, where Reform UK hopes to gain ground, Restore is polling around 7 percent, potentially drawing votes from both Reform and non-voters. Labour campaign officials believe Restore is attracting voters who have not participated in elections since the Brexit referendum.
Despite Lowe's claims of a purely political motivation, there are indications of deep personal friction between him and Farage. Lowe has explicitly ruled out any possibility of a pact to unite the fragmented British right. Furthermore, Restore Britain has attracted support from controversial figures, including far-right activist Tommy Robinson and former Farage ally Ben Habib. Habib, while campaigning for Restore, has voiced concerns about Lowe's autocratic leadership style and the party's association with 'ethno-nationalists'. Lowe has dismissed these concerns as attempts to spread mistrust.