Rupert Lowe has extended an olive branch to Nigel Farage, declaring that millions of people "see a patriotic right hopelessly divided". The former Reform UK MP, who set up Restore Britain after a dramatic split, said he was willing to work with Reform UK again if five conditions were met.
Lowe, a former chairman of Southampton FC, called for Britain's immigration crisis to be "reversed", for "demographic security", a referendum on the death penalty, "restoring a self-sufficient Britain" and boosting faith in politics.
Farage ally hits back
But an ally of Farage has accused Lowe of seeking "relevance" because Restore Britain is not proving popular enough. Gawain Towler, a Reform UK board member, 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."
Towler also said Restore holds policy positions Farage would never accept, such as banning Kosher food.
The intervention follows the Greater Manchester Mayoral Election, where Restore beat the Conservatives into fourth place – behind Labour, Reform and the Greens.
Reform MP welcomes offer
However, Andrew Rosindell, one of the eight Reform MPs, appeared to welcome the video posted on social media site X. He said: "My concern is this – our country is going to a very dark place, under a Labour Government. The next election is going to be very difficult because you could find that Labour, the Liberals, Greens, form some kind of left-wing alliance. We do have to somehow bring the right-of-centre in British politics together. What happens with Restore and with Rupert is a matter for Rupert to talk to Nigel about. What I would say to him, and to people across the country, is that we need a change of Government. Any hope that people can come together and vote for a new government that can save Britain from this mess, I'm all in favour of that. But I think it will be with Nigel Farage as our Prime Minister."
Allies of Lowe praised the move, but some friends of Farage remained sceptical. Towler delivered a further rebuke, saying: "This is not an open hand. It comes with conditions. Reform is asked to reverse course on a list of positions, among them a referendum on the death penalty and a ban on halal and kosher slaughter. Both are settled Restore policy. Both are known to be positions Reform are unlikely to take."
He continued: "That is not an olive branch. That is a demand engineered to be refused, offered in public so that the refusal can be filmed. It is the oldest move in the book and it is not even well disguised. Lowe is not asking Farage to unite the right. He is asking Farage to become Rupert Lowe, and then intends to spend the autumn touring the studios explaining that he, Rupert, the bigger man, tried. It is self-serving nonsense."
He added: "Consider what a serious approach would have looked like. Lowe has Farage’s mobile number. He has had it for years. It is not unity he wants."
Towler concluded with an 11-word statement: "It is relevance, and he is in a hurry for it."
