Nigel Farage has answered Rupert Lowe's offer of a "peace pact" by vowing he will "never turn my back on my team" and urging Restore Britain supporters to get behind Reform UK.
The Reform UK leader insisted "only one party truly has the possibility of delivering change" but acknowledged he will need the backing of Restore Britain's supporters to win the next General Election.
Lowe's olive branch
Mr Lowe, who founded Restore Britain after a dramatic split from Reform UK, appeared to extend an olive branch to end their bitter feud. The former Reform UK MP and ex-chairman of Southampton FC said millions of people "see a patriotic right hopelessly divided".
He said he was willing to put their differences aside and work with Reform UK again, provided five demands were met:
- Britain's immigration crisis to be "reversed"
- "Demographic security"
- A referendum on the death penalty
- "Restoring a self-sufficient Britain"
- Boosting faith in politics
Farage: 'I will never turn my back on my team'
In his response, Mr Farage said: "Patriotic voters believe in many of the same things, but only one party truly has the possibility of delivering change.
"To deliver that change, I understand Reform UK will need the support of people from other parties, as well as millions who have never voted before. That is the broad coalition I am building.
"Over the last 18 months, I have demonstrated that our movement will always be open to anyone who shares our commitment to restoring Britain's borders, rebuilding our economy, renewing our democracy and putting the British people first.
"My previous history in politics has also shown that I am always prepared to put country before party, as I did in 2019. But I will never turn my back on my team."
Towler accuses Lowe of seeking 'relevance'
Gawain Towler, a Reform UK board member and ally of Mr Farage, dismissed Mr Lowe's move, accusing him of seeking "relevance" because Restore Britain is not proving popular enough.
He said: "We should be clear about what happened this morning. A man of sixty-eight, a man elected twice on the coattails of Nigel Farage, who has spent eighteen months declaring that his purpose was the destruction of Nigel Farage, has looked at 8.7% in a nationally ignored by-election and concluded that his moment is now or never."
Mr Towler added that Restore holds some policy positions Mr Farage would never accept, such as banning Kosher food.
Greater Manchester Mayoral Election
The exchange comes after the Greater Manchester Mayoral Election, where Restore beat the Conservatives into fourth place, behind Labour, Reform and the Greens. Allies of Mr Lowe praised his peace pact move.
