David Vance SubstackRead More
Well, I took a few days away from the maddening crowd only to see a flurry of political developments that could change the future direction of the UK!
Rupert Lowe made this announcement;
Lowe announced his current political vehicle Restore Britain is to become a fully fledged national party, signalling a clearer challenge to both the main Westminster parties and Reform UK. This move formalises what began as a loose movement set up after his split with Reform UK last year and positions Lowe at the centre of a new attempt to rally disaffected right‑leaning voters.
You will all remember that Lowe, a businessman, farmer and former Southampton FC chairman, was originally elected for Reform UK before being suspended and sitting as an independent, and he has presented Restore Britain as the next step in his political journey.
In launching Restore Britain, Lowe argues that the country needs deep “restoration” rather than incremental reform, attacking what he describes as a complacent political class and contending that existing parties, including Reform UK, are too cautious. He casts his project as a the vehicle for voters who feel ignored by Westminster and want a more radical break with current policies.
A central theme of his announcement is immigration. Lowe has set out a tough hard‑line stance, calling for a sharp reversal of recent migration trends, pledging to make immigration net‑negative, and promising the detention and removal of those who enter the UK illegally.
Cultural and identity issues also feature prominently. Lowe emphasises what he calls Britain’s Christian heritage and raises concerns about social change, including “creeping Islamification,” alongside proposals such as banning halal and kosher slaughter, the burqa and Sharia‑inspired tribunals.
Politically, the new party places Lowe in direct competition with Reform UK and Nigel Farage, whose platform he portrays as insufficiently tough on immigration and the establishment.
Were that not enough, no sooner had Lowe made his announcement that Advance UK Leader Ben Habib made this announcement!
He warmly welcomes Lowe’s decision to turn Restore Britain into a political party and says he is “utterly delighted” by Lowe’s move, calling Restore Britain a new political force capable of delivering the change he believes the UK needs at the ballot box. He presents Lowe’s announcement as part of a broader “coming together” on the right and argues that patriots should unite behind a common project rather than remain split between small parties. As leader of Advance UK, he tells supporters he will convene the party’s internal “college” to discuss terms for Advance UK to merge with Restore Britain, with the aim of creating a single, stronger vehicle.
I have to admit I was a bit surprised that Ben seems to want Advanced consumed into Restore so quickly but it strikes me that this is what will happen. Most Advanced members I have spoken to seem happy with this, but not all. After all, it was only last week that Advanced held their manifesto launch to a packed audience in London. It may be that other small parties like UKIP also fall into Restore.
Another endorsement came from no other than Elon Musk!
Ever since Nigel Farage threw Rupert Lowe and Ben Habib out of Reform – for reasons I still can’t quite understand – karma was always going to come for him. Maybe Reform will continue to set the pace, but time will tell. The worry many will have is will this “split the vote” and let Labour in again for another term. I get that but would simply add that if Reform’s policies are that good, they will prevail and capture hearts and minds. Then again…..
