LONDON — Nigel Farage has built his reputation on being the outsider. But now another figure is trying to claim that space.
Rupert Lowe, a former Reform UK MP and businessman, has launched the Restore Britain campaign following a public split with Farage earlier this summer. Lowe, who briefly entered Parliament in 2024, insists his new platform is not a party but a pressure group designed to push mainstream conservatives further to the right.
The campaign was rolled out in June and has already built momentum online. Lowe’s frequent posts on X — sometimes boosted by high-profile figures such as Elon Musk — have helped the movement attract tens of thousands of followers. The group has yet to announce candidates but is prioritizing issues such as stricter immigration rules, opposition to climate regulation, and a stronger focus on national sovereignty.
Farage, who took back the leadership of Reform UK last year, has said little about Lowe’s effort. In the past he has brushed off similar challenges, calling them distractions from his own populist vehicle.
The question is whether there is room to the right of Reform UK. Analysts note that Farage has tried to broaden his party’s reach beyond its Brexit roots. Lowe’s push could splinter that base, while also normalizing policies once seen as fringe.
“It’s unclear whether Restore Britain is more than a social-media moment,” said Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester. “But it shows continuing turbulence on the populist right and demand for voices even further out than Farage.”
With another election cycle beginning, Restore Britain’s rise points to the unsettled state of U.K. politics — and the power of online platforms in shaping it.
