Restore Britain sets sights on splitting Reform’s vote in Makerfield

Restore Britain is a Reform UK breakaway party that targets voters to the right of Nigel Farage. While the party is yet to make a dent on national polling, it has taken numerous councillors from Reform. Now, it’s hoping to take a dent out of Reform’s polling in the crucial Makerfield by-election:

I am proud to announce local businesswoman Rebecca Shepherd as our Restore Britain candidate for the Makerfield constituency.

Rebecca has spent most of her adult life living and working in the Wigan borough, where she has built and run her own small business. Through that… pic.twitter.com/3bZ6B1BfrD

— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) May 18, 2026

As we’ve reported, Restore has already prevented Reform from winning by opposing them – specifically in the Norfolk local elections.

Reform vs Restore

Restore was founded by Rupert Lowe following a falling out with Nigel Farage. As we reported:

The timeline of Lowe leaving Reform is messy. The TLDR is:

• Lowe began criticising Farage (seemingly in coordination with Elon Musk).
• Farage suggested Lowe wouldn’t be anywhere near office without Nigel’s cult of personality (a.k.a. Reform).
• Reform suspended Lowe and reported him to the police for ‘verbal threats’ and “serious bullying” of female staffers.
• Lowe described the accusations as “vexatious”.
• Several months of back and forth ensued.

Lowe got Elon Musk in the divorce, with the South African billionaire posting favourably of Lowe:

Join Rupert Lowe in Restore Britain, because he is the only one who will actually do it! https://t.co/sa5VkSRWXD

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 14, 2026

He’s posted less favourably of Farage:

Advance UK will actually drive change.

Farage is weak sauce who will do nothing. https://t.co/Vnw2uTdRRi

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2025

Notably, Musk and Farage entered into a war of words on 14 May:

Farage is lying

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2026

Lowe would start tweeting about running in Makerfield the same day:

Ladbrokes have Restore Britain as third favourite in Makerfield ahead of the Greens, Tories and Lib Dems.

Interesting.

— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) May 14, 2026

It’s likely that Lowe would have run in Makerfield regardless, because he hates Farage. Still, we’re sure it can’t hurt to be on the same side as a ruthless billionaire with his own social media network.

Let them fight

Lowe is seemingly convinced that his mostly-unknown party can win in Makerfield:

Reading how the odds for Restore Britain in Makerfield have tumbled from 50/1 to 9/1 just over the weekend. Stunning progress.

I am becoming increasingly convinced that we can win Makerfield and deliver the biggest shock in British political history.

— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) May 18, 2026

We’re not so sure, and we suspect most of their votes will come from people who get ‘Reform UK’ and ‘Restore Britain’ mixed up.

At the same time, if Restore do start to do well, we’re not sure Lowe will like that. For a start, it will mean the wider electorate get to learn that he once had his groundskeeper shoot his pet dog in the back of the head.

Featured image via Getty Images (Dan Kitwood)