Rupert Lowe urges Nigel Farage to work with Restore Britain

Lowe says pair should put ‘personalities and our past disagreements aside for good of the country’

The leader of Restore Britain has extended an olive branch to Nigel Farage, saying the two should put “personalities and our past disagreements aside for the good of the country”.

Rupert Lowe told the Reform UK leader that if he was “prepared to work together around serious policies, serious reform and serious government, then so are we”.

In a video posted on X, Lowe said: “I truly believe there could be sufficient common ground for our two movements to cooperate collectively, destroy the looming leftwing alliance that will finish off what hope remains for this country.

“In my view, failing to even try because of our own personal difficulties is simply not an option. Now is the time to put our differences aside and cooperate for the good of the country that we all love.”

The offer comes after Restore Britain placed fourth in the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection, where its candidate, Marlon West, took 8.7% of the vote. Reform’s Sian Astley came second on 21%, behind Labour’s Andy Burnham’s successor, Bev Craig.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday, Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, suggested the party would not form a coalition to gain control of No 10, saying: “One thing about history in this country, it shows that coalition governments achieve nothing that anybody wants, really. Everyone ends up disappointed.”

Lowe was among five Reform MPs who entered parliament for the first time in the 2024 general election, representing the constituency of Great Yarmouth.

He was suspended in March 2025, when accusations emerged that he had bullied staff and threatened Yusuf, the party’s chair at the time, claims Lowe denied.

Lowe founded Restore Britain in February with backing from Elon Musk.

Lowe asked Farage to put “personalities and our past disagreements aside” and he set five conditions for cooperation:

Mass deportation of illegal migrants “including women and children”.

Tougher rules on legal migration, a ban on halal and kosher slaughter, the burqa, cousin marriage and sharia courts.

Welfare cuts to fund “self-sufficiency”.

The exclusion of former Tory ministers from any future cabinet.

“Mass deportations must become a political inevitability,” he said. “They must all go.”

He cited Reform and Restore’s cooperation on Norfolk county council as proof cross-party working could succeed nationally.

Farage framed the next election as “an existential fight to save the country” and said Reform would need support beyond its own ranks to win.

“I understand Reform UK will need the support of people from other parties, as well as millions who have never voted before,” he wrote in a post on X. “That is the broad coalition I am building.”

He added that Reform had “always been open to anyone” who shared its aims on borders, the economy and democracy, but added: “I will never turn my back on my team.”

Farage is contesting a byelection after resigning as MP for Clacton . None of the main parties are fielding a candidate against him, although 34 independents are standing, including the novelty candidate Count Binface .