Restore Britain

Restore Britain is a political party in the United Kingdom led by Rupert Lowe, the Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth. The organisation was launched on 30 June 2025 as a political movement and pressure group, and was announced as converting to a political party on 13 February 2026. It presents itself as an umbrella organisation for local grassroots groups. Various journalists and commentators have described Restore Britain as right-wing or far-right in the context of British politics.

Lowe was elected to Parliament for Reform UK, but left the party after a public dispute with its leadership, including his criticism of Nigel Farage. Reform UK subsequently alleged threatening behaviour, which Lowe and his staff denied. Later in 2025, he established Restore Britain as a pressure group, with an initial advisory board that included Conservative politicians such as Susan Hall and Gavin Williamson. The party also raised funds via crowdfunding for an inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.

In February 2026, Lowe said Restore Britain would transition from a pressure group into a national political party. The party advocates policies such as large-scale deportation of people in the United Kingdom without legal status, seeking net-negative immigration, calling for a referendum on reinstating the death penalty, reducing certain taxes and the size of the state, withdrawing public funding for the BBC, banning the burqa and niqab, legalising the possession of pepper spray, and expanding the legal scope of "reasonable force" in defence of the home. The party has also referred to stopping "wokery" and banning kosher and halal slaughter.

Rupert Lowe was elected as one of Reform UK's five members of Parliament at the 2024 general election, representing the constituency of Great Yarmouth. On 7 March 2025, Reform UK suspended him and removed the party whip following allegations that he had made threats of violence towards party chairman Zia Yusuf, as well as other alleged incidents of bullying and threatening behaviour between December 2024 and February 2025.

The party also cited complaints from staff about derogatory and discriminatory remarks about women and reported the matter to the police, after which the Metropolitan Police passed a file to prosecutors. Lowe and his seven parliamentary staff denied the allegations in an open letter, describing them as false and vexatious, and noted that his suspension and police referral came the day after he had publicly raised concerns and criticised party leader Nigel Farage in a media interview. On 9 March 2025, Lowe stated that he believed Nigel Farage was "watering down" Reform UK's policy on the deportation of illegal migrants.

On 25 March 2025, leaked WhatsApp messages showed Farage describing Lowe's behaviour as both "disgusting" and "contemptible"; Lowe responded by calling the process a "malicious witch hunt" against him and alleging that it was motivated by his decision to ask questions and challenge the party leadership.

On 30 June 2025, Lowe launched Restore Britain as a political organisation "for those who believe that we need to fundamentally change the way Britain is governed." The launch coincided with that of Advance UK, a right-wing party founded by another former Reform UK representative, Ben Habib. Susan Hall, then leader of the Conservative Party group on the London Assembly, joined Restore Britain's advisory board. Lowe raised approximately £600,000 through crowdfunding for an independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs to be sponsored by Restore Britain. This initiative attracted the involvement of Conservative MPs Nick Timothy, Esther McVey, and Gavin Williamson.

On 13 February 2026, Lowe announced that Restore Britain would become a registered political party, presenting it as an umbrella organisation for local grassroots groups. Following the announcement, Hall and Williamson left the organisation. Two days later, Restore Britain announced its first local councillor, Maria Bowtell, who had previously served as a Reform UK, then independent, councillor on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Habib stated that he would consider a possible merger between Advance UK and Restore Britain. On 17 February 2026, Restore Britain announced that eight additional councillors had joined the party, including seven from Kent County Council, on which Restore Britain became the third-largest party. Lowe said that further defections were expected. The next day, Laila Cunningham, Reform UK's candidate in the 2028 London mayoral election, described Restore Britain as "neo-Nazi". Lowe responded that he had consulted his legal team and called on Cunningham to issue an apology and full retraction. According to Hope not Hate, by mid February ethnonationalists had joined the party, with support from British neo-Nazis including the leadership of Patriotic Alternative. The support base was described as a fragile divide on the far-right between civic nationalists on one side, and ethnic nationalists on the other.

On 19 February, Lowe announced that three more councillors had defected from Reform UK: one from Leicestershire County Council and two from Warwickshire County Council. The following day, two councillors in North Northamptonshire Council also defected to Restore Britain, though one (Darren Rance) subsequently said he was rejoining Reform UK. The defectors initially sat as independents since Restore Britain was not yet recognised by the Electoral Commission.

On 20 March 2026, Lowe said that the party had been registered with the Electoral Commission to run candidates in Great Britain. Lowe officially joined Restore Britian as a member of the House of Commons on 23 March 2026.

Findoutnow conducted a poll of 3,029 adults in late February that found 7% of participants would support Restore Britain in a general election. In March 2026, Findoutnow found Restore at 8% with Reform at 25%, and in April 2026, it went to 9% for Restore and 21% for Reform.

According to a 14 April 2026 poll by YouGov, Restore Britain maintained 4% in Westminster, with Reform at 24%.

Restore Britain has been described by media outlets and journalists as both a far-right and right-wing party, as part of the radical right, and as "strongly nationalist and socially conservative". Lowe has stated indifference to Restore Britain being described as far-right or racist, and has proclaimed that the party "will look at the facts, and then discriminate." The Times described Lowe's views as becoming increasingly radicalised while wanting to "implement the harshest possible circumstances for illegal migrants". Hope not Hate categorised Restore as "part of a broader re-racialisation of the British far right" with openly racial politics, while assembling a coalition of figures located "to the right of Reform, all the way through to open fascists".

According to its published materials and public statements, Restore Britain supports policies including the deportation of people residing in the United Kingdom without legal status, seeking net-negative immigration. Lowe released a 133-page "mass deportation" policy document for Restore Britain, crediting a range of figures such as Carl Benjamin and contributors to GB News.

The party has also pledged legalising the possession of pepper spray for women and the use of "reasonable force" in the defence of people's homes, and has referred in its rhetoric to a desire to "carpet-bomb the cancer of wokery". It has additionally stated that it seeks to abolish kosher and halal slaughter and to restore Christian principles. Other policies include reinstating the death penalty, reducing certain taxes, limiting the size of government, banning the burqa and niqab, and reducing or withdrawing public funding from the BBC.

On 16 February 2026, a few days after Restore Britain announced its launch as a political party, the organisation stated that it had reached 50,000 members. Two days later, party leader Rupert Lowe said that membership had risen to 70,000.

Restore Britain has not yet stood in an election. The party is currently represented in the House of Commons by a single MP, Rupert Lowe. A number of local councillors elected under other descriptions have joined the party.

As of 23 March 2026

As of 26 March 2026

• Official website