Key facts
- Restore Britain, a hard-right anti-immigration party, plans to contest all seats in the next UK general election.
- The party's leader, Rupert Lowe, was previously a member of Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
- Research indicates Restore could cost Reform UK approximately 70 seats by splitting the right-wing vote.
- Restore candidates secured all nine seats they contested in recent Norfolk County Council elections.
- The party is polling around 7 percent in the upcoming Makerfield by-election.
The hard-right anti-immigration party Restore Britain, led by Rupert Lowe, is planning a nationwide challenge to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. Lowe, who was previously a member of Reform UK, denies personal animosity but has ruled out any pact between the two parties.
Restore Britain aims to contest every seat in the next general election, which is not due until 2029. The party has established branches in approximately 550 of the UK's 650 parliamentary constituencies. Research suggests that if Restore fields a full slate of candidates, it could deprive Reform UK of around 70 seats due to vote splitting, potentially hindering Reform's chances of forming a government.
In recent local elections, Restore-backed candidates won all nine seats they contested on Norfolk County Council. The party is also polling around 7 percent in the upcoming Makerfield by-election. Lowe has welcomed support from far-right activist Tommy Robinson and figures associated with the 'Remigration Now' group, though he denies harboring ethno-nationalist views.
Pollster Luke Tryl noted that in an era of fragmented politics, a challenger further to the right could have an outsized effect on election outcomes, potentially trapping Reform UK in a "pincer movement" that alienates moderate voters.