Restore Britain: officials, incidents and party record

Restore Britain is an ethno-nationalist, far-right political party launched by Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, following his acrimonious departure from Reform UK. Originally established as a press

Leader: Rupert Lowe

Founded: 2025

Headquarters: Millennium House, Gapton Hall Road, Great Yarmouth NR31 0NL

Ideology: Ethnic nationalism

Position: Far-right

Membership: 130,000 (June 2026)

Website: https://www.restorebritain.org.uk

Restore Britain is an ethno-nationalist, far-right political party launched by Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, following his acrimonious departure from Reform UK. Originally established as a pressure group in June 2025, it became a registered political party on 13 February 2026, presenting itself as an umbrella for local grassroots groups. Within months it claimed 130,000 paying members and attracted dozens of council defections, and its local affiliate Great Yarmouth First won all ten seats it contested in the 2026 local elections. The party advocates mass deportation and net-negative immigration, a referendum on the death penalty, withdrawal of BBC public funding and the repeal of net-zero policies. It has received endorsements from Elon Musk and support from across the far-right, including figures linked to Patriotic Alternative and the former BNP.

Restore Britain policy documents

Tracked Restore Britain representatives (42)

Recorded party incidents (showing 1-24 of 24)

Owain Clatworthy invited extremist group into council chamber and told critics to 'go fuck yourselves'

Category: hate speech

Owain Clatworthy invited the founders of anti-Islam group Voice of Wales into Bridgend council’s debating chamber to film one-to-one interviews and told critics to "go fuck themselves", saying he "couldn't give two shits" about calls for his resignation. In the filmed footage he asserted that many "illegal migrant invaders" were rapists with "Muslim ideology", accused council leaders of being "traitors" and called for officials who authorised refugee-welcoming material to be "chucked in jail". This matters because one Voice of Wales founder, Daniel Morgan, received a suspended prison sentence in 2023 for conspiracy to commit fraud and the group’s other co-founder, Stan Robinson, is a former UKIP candidate, raising concerns about how they gained access. Bridgend County Borough Council said the filming was made "entirely without the involvement or participation" of the council, South Wales Police confirmed four arrests in a related immigration operation after Clatworthy had claimed a much larger figure, and Clatworthy has faced formal complaints and a recent ban from a Veterans Association over inflammatory conduct.

Tyler Johnson alleged to have been nominated by extremist figures during Restore Britain campaign

Category: racism

Tyler Johnson ran as a Restore Britain candidate while Stand Up To Racism said he was nominated by Patrick McGinnis and associated with former BNP official Michael Newland. Stand Up To Racism also said its activists repeatedly confronted Restore Britain campaigners and exposed what it described as a fascist core within the party’s local campaign. This matters because national reporting identified Johnson as Restore Britain’s candidate and documented his campaign messaging, and Johnson’s party finished sixth with 692 votes in the by-election. Stand Up To Racism’s claims about nominations and links to former BNP figures and other far right organisers are presented as the group’s findings; Rupert Lowe publicly supported the campaign but no formal sanction or denial relating to these specific allegations is recorded here.

Rupert Lowe promised 'fully funded' sweeping tax cuts without explaining how they'd be paid

Category: factual inaccuracy

Rupert Lowe posted on social media promising a sweeping programme of tax cuts and giveaways, listing measures including abolition of student loan interest, a higher personal allowance, scrapping stamp duty, VAT cuts and ending inheritance tax. He described the package as "detailed, fully funded" despite Restore Britain not providing a clear explanation of how the measures would be financed. The claim was widely criticised online and described as "imaginary billions" by commentators, with some comparing the proposals to the failed tax-cut agenda of Liz Truss. Restore Britain's own economic plan says it would claw back £178 billion from what it calls "excess spending" and use those savings to fund between £155 billion and £156 billion in tax cuts, but it does not set out detailed explanations of how the specific measures Lowe named would be funded. Lowe's announcements formed part of a wider set of radical policy proposals from Restore Britain, including a pledge to roll back devolution that he also announced on social media.

Rupert Lowe claimed Restore Britain has overtaken Reform in Scotland

Category: factual inaccuracy

Rupert Lowe claimed on social media that Restore Britain has overtaken Reform UK in paid-up members in Scotland and that Restore Britain is now the second-largest party there. Membership figures for political parties are not publicly verifiable or externally regulated and the claim could not be independently verified; Reform UK is thought to have about 12,500 members in Scotland while the SNP, Labour and the Greens report roughly 51,000, 11,000 and 10,000 respectively. Lowe was suspended from Reform UK last year and Restore Britain currently has only one named person in Scotland, Tommy Macpherson. Lowe has previously attracted controversy for remarks about the monarchy and for minimising the Dunblane massacre in an interview.

Rupert Lowe pledged a binding referendum to reintroduce the death penalty

Category: inflammatory language

Rupert Lowe pledged a manifesto commitment to hold a legally binding referendum on bringing back the death penalty, proposing to reintroduce capital punishment for foreign and domestic criminals. He presented the pledge as a public policy commitment in his speeches and manifesto material. The pledge places him among UK politicians advocating capital punishment and drew criticism from human rights figures who argued recent botched executions and evidence showing more detailed information reduces public support make reinstatement dangerous and inhumane. Maya Foa of Reprieve explicitly criticised calls to restore the death penalty and Lee Anderson has also publicly backed a referendum on the issue.

Luke Cooper says his election prompted threats to his family

Category: intimidation bullying

Cllr Luke Cooper, Restore Britain group leader who defected from Reform UK, told Warwickshire County Council that his election as a Reform UK councillor led to threats against him and his family. He said within two weeks he received rape threats and had to take his address offline. He made the remarks during a council debate on member conduct and social media and said he had yet to receive an apology. The council carried a motion committing to member development and training on conduct and social media, an amendment to make training mandatory was rejected, and Cllr Stan Carvell and four members of Restore Britain voted against while Cllr Sam Jones abstained.

Rupert Lowe photographed with activists linked to Nazi imagery

Category: hate speech

Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, has been photographed at party meetings and campaign events with several activists who have posted or displayed Nazi imagery or who have links to neo‑Nazi groups. Photographs shown include individuals wearing SS hats, posing with Nazi flags, performing Nazi salutes, or sharing extremist material at Restore-branded events. Lowe has publicly urged people to stop calling the party "Nazi" and has previously denounced far-right ethnonationalism, while the party leadership has not expelled the implicated activists and did not respond to a request for comment. Some of the activists named remain active in Restore and have been linked to groups such as Blood & Honour and Patriotic Alternative, and local attempts to expel at least one activist were reported to have been blocked by party leadership.

Tyler Johnson employed by company controlled by Chinese state-owned oil group

Category: undisclosed interest

Tyler Johnson, Restore Britain’s candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, is employed as legal counsel at CNOOC International, the global arm of CNOOC Limited, which is controlled by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation. His LinkedIn profile describes work on new ventures and operations across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America. CNOOC and its parent have been placed on US lists, including action by the Pentagon and a US economic blacklist, over concerns raised by US authorities about links to the Chinese military and conduct in the South China Sea. Rupert Lowe, the Restore Britain leader, announced Mr Johnson’s candidacy and has publicly reiterated his support when questioned about the employment. Mr Johnson declined to comment. The employment has prompted scrutiny of the party’s candidate vetting and potential links to a foreign state; no formal disciplinary action or change to his candidacy has been reported.

Former Restore Britain candidate said the party tolerates "overt antisemitism, racism and misogyny"

Category: party management issue

Former Royal Marine Jez Hermer, until recently a Restore Britain election candidate, accused the party of tolerating "overt antisemitism, racism and misogyny" and said its leaders had failed to stop a "rapid charge to the hard-Right". These are his allegations; the party disputes claims that it is racist.

Sources: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/17/restore-is-being-hijacked-by-racists-says-former-candidate/ https://searchlightmagazine.com/2026/09/restores-ex-marine-election-candidate-slams-partys-overt-antisemitism-racism-and-misogyny/

Elected on a Reform UK platform in May, defected to Restore Britain four months later and refused calls for a by-election

Category: party management issue

Andrew Southall was elected to Dudley Council for Wollaston and Stourbridge Town in May 2026 on a Reform UK platform, having served as chairman of the Dudley Reform UK branch. On 16 September 2026, four months after the election, he announced he had left Reform UK for Restore Britain, saying the party had "superior policies" and that the move would give him "greater autonomy in the chamber" as he would not be subject to the whip. The Green Party said residents had voted after receiving centrally funded Reform UK leaflets focused on the party's national policy, noted his margin over the third-placed candidate was 122 votes, and said he should trigger a by-election to seek a fresh mandate. Mr Southall said he found that call "slightly amusing" and has kept his seat. He says his decision was unconnected with his replacement as branch chairman by former MP Marco Longhi.

Campaign team includes figures with reported records of racist and antisemitic remarks

Category: extremism

Location: Holborn and St Pancras, Camden, London

An investigation by Stand Up To Racism, reported by the Morning Star on 15 September 2026, said that key figures involved in Tyler Johnson's Restore Britain by-election campaign in Holborn and St Pancras had histories of racist and antisemitic remarks and involvement in far-right activity. According to the reporting, Johnson's principal nominator, Patrick McGinnis, published a video titled "Jewish ideas are destroying our country, not Islamic ideas", in which he blamed "Jewish ideas" for a range of social and economic problems, and has claimed that "the media is owned by zionists". Lewis Holmes, described by the campaigners as an organiser of the by-election campaign, is reported to have called small-boat migration an "invasion", called for "third worlders" to be deported and posted antisemitic and conspiracist content. The group said campaign photographs in the constituency also featured Michael Newland, a former leading figure in the British National Party, and Callum Barker, previously an activist in the Homeland organisation and a figure in anti-refugee protests in Epping. Stand Up To Racism co-convener Weyman Bennett said the evidence could not be dismissed as "a handful of embarrassing social-media endorsements". The allegations concern people working on or nominating the campaign rather than statements attributed to Johnson himself. No response from Johnson to the findings was recorded in the reporting reviewed.

Rupert Lowe criticised for calling Dartford school demographics unacceptable

Category: racism

Rupert Lowe (mp, East of England) posted on X criticising the ethnic demographics of Dartford Grammar School for Girls, saying the fall in the proportion of pupils classified as white British was unacceptable. He cited Department for Education pupil characteristic figures, noting a decline from around 52% to about 7% at the school. The school's headteacher said the school is proud of its cultural diversity and pointed to a positive Ofsted inspection report. Local figures including the Dartford opposition leader and the local MP criticised Lowe's comments as divisive, while a councillor from Lowe's party defended his wider point about changing patterns in the education system; no formal disciplinary action by the party has been reported.

Rupert Lowe told donors he "deliberated" over Elon Musk's offer of "as much money as we want"

Category: financial conduct concern

At a Restore Britain fundraiser in Mayfair, Rupert Lowe told donors that Elon Musk had offered the party "as much money as we want". He said he deliberated over the offer, which would have been unlawful under UK rules on foreign donations, before rejecting it because of the "optics". He also said Germany's AfD had been in touch.

Sources: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/restore-britain-fundraiser-elon-musk-rupert-lowe-5x2nmqmzf https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16126397/Rupert-Lowe-Elon-Musks-illegal-offer-Restore-optics.html

Restore Britain split after members demanded removal of its women's spokesperson for defending non-white victims

Category: racism

Restore Britain's spokesperson on women, Orla Minihane, said the party must also protect "Indian, Asian girls, Pakistani girls, Bangladeshi girls, Somalian girls, who were born here" who are victims of crime. Steve Laws and others in the party demanded she be removed; when figures close to the leadership defended her, Laws, whom The Telegraph described as a Hitler apologist, quit in protest at the pledge to protect all women regardless of heritage.

Sources: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/31/restore-britain-hit-by-revolt-from-hitler-apologist/ https://searchlightmagazine.com/2026/09/restores-ex-marine-election-candidate-slams-partys-overt-antisemitism-racism-and-misogyny/

Rupert Lowe on course to earn as much from X posts as from his MP salary

Category: conflict of interest

Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth and leader of Restore Britain, has declared payments from the social media platform X that put him on course to earn as much from posting as he does from his parliamentary salary. His entries in the register of MPs' financial interests show average earnings of around £931 an hour for time spent on the platform this year, including a single payment of £11,724.97 for five hours of work, and total declared receipts of more than £100,000 since his election in 2024. The payments come through the platform's creator revenue programme, which pays account holders according to engagement from paying subscribers. Lowe is the highest earning UK politician on the platform by a wide margin, ahead of Reform UK figures including Nigel Farage, Richard Tice and Lee Anderson. Critics have argued that the arrangement financially rewards inflammatory content, noting that his most widely shared posts include calls for mass deportations and for foreign nationals in social housing to be removed from the country. Lowe rejected the criticism, saying that he would not be in politics if he wanted to make money and that he donates his entire net MP salary to charities in his constituency.

Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/24/rupert-lowe-restore-britain-earn-same-on-x-as-being-mp-elon-musk https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/rupert-lowe-x-income-social-media-b3038753.html https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/rupert-lowe-earned-10k-x-one-month https://leftfootforward.org/2026/08/rupert-lowe-set-to-rake-in-as-much-money-from-divisive-x-posts-as-from-his-mps-salary/

Rupert Lowe calls to ban immigration from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea

Category: xenophobia

On 13 August 2026 Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth and leader of Restore Britain, posted a tweet saying Britain should "entirely" ban immigration from Sudan, Somalia, Pakistan, Eritrea and Afghanistan. He listed the five countries by name and said a "full Restore Britain policy document is being worked on." The tweet was posted as Pakistan marked its Independence Day. Lowe framed the proposal as part of Restore Britain’s approach to designate certain nations as a "Red List", citing criteria such as crime statistics, cultural attitudes, sexual offences, extremism risk and integration failure. He leads the party that split from Reform UK in 2025 and remains its leader and an MP; the statement attracted attention for targeting entire national groups rather than individual conduct.

Rupert Lowe refuses to sack co‑founder, ending talks with Reform UK

Category: hate speech

In August 2026, Rupert Lowe, founder of Restore Britain, refused to sack co‑founder Charlie Downes during discussions about a possible pact with Reform UK. Senior Reform UK sources said Lowe's decision to retain Downes, who has faced accusations of spreading an antisemitic trope, meant a deal was effectively off. Lowe continued to defend Downes and other controversial figures and faced criticism over remarks that Muslims were "less British" than Christians and that Jewish supporters had "bought" Nigel Farage. Reform UK told its members the proposed alliance was not going to happen, and talks have been suspended pending further developments.

Restore spokesman said British identity depends on "ancestry and Christian faith", making Muslims less British

Category: discriminatory remark

Charlie Downes, Restore Britain's spokesman, said Britishness is defined by "indigenous British ancestry and Christian faith", meaning being Muslim makes a person less British. The comments were condemned as divisive. In the same week Rupert Lowe declined to say whether King Charles would count as a "white Briton" under the party's definition.

Sources: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/08/being-muslim-makes-you-less-british-claims-restore/ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/charles-britons-restore-britain-nick-robinson-british-b3028562.html

Restore spokesman Charlie Downes appeared to suggest Nigel Farage had been "bought" by Jewish supporters

Category: antisemitism

Responding to a Nigel Farage post saying he "could not be bought", Restore Britain co-founder and spokesman Charlie Downes shared an image of Farage at the launch of the Reform Jewish Alliance, with a Star of David visible, without explanation. The Alliance's chair called it "one of the oldest antisemitic" tropes. Reform then ruled out any pact while Downes remained in post, and Restore refused to remove him.

Sources: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/restore-britain-co-founder-sparks-anger-with-farage-bought-by-jews-post/ https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/restore-britain-charlie-downes-farage-bought-jews-i90hvw9y https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/10/restore-rupert-lowe-sack-co-founder-accused-anti-semitism/

Rupert Lowe offers cooperation pact to Reform UK while invoking 'Rivers of Blood' language

Category: xenophobia

On 2 August 2026 Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, posted a video on X offering a public cooperation pact to Nigel Farage and Reform UK following the Greater Manchester by-election result. In the video Lowe said "The country we both love is changing beyond recognition. Millions of people feel like strangers in their own communities," and invited Reform to work with Restore around "serious policies" while adding "I do not care how that is done." Lowe framed the offer as a way to maximise the chances of delivering change and referenced his prior falling out with Nigel Farage and his sacking by Reform. He warned that Restore would continue to oppose Reform unless it adopted Restore's positions, and the video includes an explicit reference to Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech.

Hope not Hate investigation reported a "Remigration Now" faction operating within Restore Britain

Category: hate speech

Hope not Hate published an investigation into a group calling itself "Remigration Now", which it described as pro-ethnic cleansing extremists active within Restore Britain, including members sharing graphic and offensive material. These are Hope not Hate's findings; Restore Britain has not accepted them.

Sources: https://hopenothate.org.uk/2026/07/17/meet-remigration-now-the-pro-ethnic-cleansing-extremists-within-restore-britain/

Neo-fascist leaders publicly backed Restore Britain, with Steve Laws claiming daily contact with its top team

Category: inflammatory language

Ethnonationalist activist Steve Laws, who describes himself as a "proud" racist, urged followers to become Restore Britain candidates and organisers and claimed to be in "daily" contact with its top team, according to Hope not Hate. The Times reported that Simon Birkett, a former BNP official who leads The Woodlander Initiative, called Restore the far right's "last shot" at power. Restore and Lowe called the reporting a "pathetic smear campaign"; the party has not accepted Laws's account of contact.

Sources: https://hopenothate.org.uk/2026/04/08/the-company-you-keep-the-extremists-flocking-to-restore-britain/ https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/rupert-lowe-restore-britain-party-neo-nazis-rr69wd763

Restore Britain's mass deportation paper thanked Carl Benjamin and GB News figures

Category: xenophobia

Days after launch, Restore Britain published a lengthy mass deportation policy document. Its acknowledgements thanked figures including Carl Benjamin ("Sargon of Akkad"), who was investigated by police in 2016 after saying he "wouldn't even rape" Labour MP Jess Phillips, alongside past and present GB News contributors.

Sources: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25862662.gb-news-pundits-thanked-rupert-lowes-mass-deportation-paper/

Restore Britain launched as a party pledging that "millions must go" and a ban on halal and kosher slaughter

Category: xenophobia

Restore Britain launched as a political party in Great Yarmouth on 13 February 2026. At launch it declared that "millions must go", pledged to "abolish the entire asylum system" and to ban halal and kosher slaughter. Rupert Lowe said the party "will look at the facts, and then discriminate". Elon Musk endorsed it on X the following day.

Sources: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/we-will-discriminate-new-elon-musk-backed-restore-britain-party-launches https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/15/rupert-lowe-great-yarmouth-first-party-far-right-reform-uk