Former Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has described suggestions that the Restore Party will split the right-wing vote in the Makerfield by-election as 'ludicrous', dismissing claims that it would hand the seat to Labour. Leaked polling had indicated that the insurgent party, created by MP Rupert Lowe earlier this year after his acrimonious split from Reform, could enable Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to win. A victory would pave the way for Burnham to challenge Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for the top job.
Bridgen: Restore Is Not a Spoiler
Speaking to Metro, Bridgen, who joined Restore when it officially became a political party in March, said the right-wing party was not there to 'prop up' Reform. 'Restore is a political party, it's there to stand in elections. It's not there to prop up Nigel Farage and Reform. A lot of people do not like Nigel Farage. They do not trust him, he is not trustworthy,' he stated.
Bridgen further argued: 'Presuming everyone who would vote Restore would vote Reform otherwise is ludicrous. What we found is that a lot of people voting for Restore wouldn't normally vote. Around 48% of Makerfield's electorate didn't vote last time. So you can win an election in this country by getting people who've given up on politics to go and vote.'
Polling Data and Support
Current polling suggests the backing enjoyed by Restore candidate Rebecca Shepherd in the constituency is larger than the lead held by Burnham over Reform's Robert Kenyon. A More in Common survey for the Sunday Times puts Restore on 8%, with Burnham on 45% and Kenyon on 40%. Meanwhile, an Opinium poll for the Independent has Burnham on 46% and Kenyon on 41%, while Shepherd is on 7%.
The party has the support of influential tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk, who publicly backed Restore last month. His intervention prompted Farage to warn Musk that Burnham would be 'delighted' with his outburst. Farage told the Telegraph: 'Elon Musk has decided he will try to split the right of British politics as best he can. This is supporting a party that's one man with a social media account. Quite what he's trying to achieve, I have no idea.'
Disillusioned Voters, Not Reform Defectors
Bridgen rubbished Farage's claims and said that much of Restore's support in the constituency is coming from 'disillusioned non-voters'. 'The people that I am seeing voting for Restore, a lot of them have already given up on politics, including a lot of activists. They are not from Reform or the Labour Party. They are people who have given up on politics and realise we are in a desperate situation,' he explained.
He later conceded that some of the support Restore had attracted was from 'disillusioned' Labour and Reform voters. But Bridgen insisted that even if the party sapped some support from Reform, it would not affect the result. 'I think people should vote for the party they want rather than the least worst option. I don't think Restore running will make any difference,' he said.
Why Bridgen Chose Restore Over Reform
When asked why he decided to join Restore over Reform, Bridgen said he had a meeting with the Reform leader in January 2023. 'I was thrown out of the Conservative Party for asking questions about the safety and effectiveness of Covid vaccines and Reform have no desire to talk about them either. Nigel Farage told me that he wasn't going to be speaking about Covid vaccines and if I knew what was good for me I wouldn't either. He said to me "the problem with you, Andrew, is that you are always looking for a fight". I told him "that is not true but if there is a fight going, I am not going to shy away from it".'
He also criticised the current Labour government's £660m deal with France to try and stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, claiming it was not working.
