Key facts
- Rupert Lowe is earning substantial income from his posts on X, potentially matching his MP salary.
- Lowe's hourly rate on X has increased significantly, reaching £1,476 since June.
- His total income from X since the 2024 general election has exceeded £105,000.
- Critics argue that X's revenue-sharing scheme incentivizes divisive political content and influences UK politics.
- Lowe's posts, which advocate for mass deportations and criticize diversity policies, have garnered millions of views.
Rupert Lowe, the leader of Restore Britain, is reportedly on track to earn as much from his posts on Elon Musk's social media platform X as he does from his parliamentary salary. According to declarations in the register of MPs’ financial interests, Lowe has earned an average of £932 per hour on X since the start of the year, a figure that more than doubled from last year and surged further in recent months to £1,476 per hour.
Critics suggest that X's revenue-sharing scheme, which rewards users based on post performance, is incentivizing divisive political content and is pulling the UK's political discourse to the right. Elon Musk, the owner of X, has repeatedly amplified Lowe's posts. Lowe's total income from X since the 2024 general election has surpassed £105,000. If his current average earnings continue, he could earn over £93,000 annually from the platform, nearing the £98,599 MP salary.
Lowe, who founded Restore Britain after leaving Nigel Farage's Reform UK, has described his party's main achievement as bringing the issue of mass deportations of migrants into mainstream politics. He has previously stated that he donates his entire net MP salary to local charities. His recent posts, which advocate for the deportation of undocumented migrants and criticize diversity policies, have garnered millions of views and significant engagement on the platform. Ambrose Pym, a researcher focusing on the far right and technology, noted that Lowe's online reach and income are intertwined, with X's financial structure rewarding division.