Nigel Farage’s grip on Britain’s political right is facing a fresh challenge after pollsters began including Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain in their surveys. The party is already attracting 4 per cent support — with much of it apparently coming from Reform UK.

Restore breaks through as Reform starts to slide

The development echoes Reform’s own breakthrough. When pollsters first began routinely including Farage’s party in surveys in 2022, it was polling at just 5–7 per cent before surging to 15 per cent at the general election and eventually leading national polls.

Now Restore Britain has reached the same polling threshold. A More in Common survey put the party on 4 per cent, while Reform fell two points to 23 per cent, its lowest level for 18 months.

More in Common director Luke Tryl described the development as evidence of the “fragmentation of the right”. Restore’s recent performances have strengthened its case, including 6.8 per cent in Makerfield, 8.7 per cent in Greater Manchester and 10.9 per cent in Norfolk.

Lowe is eating into Farage’s support base

The threat is particularly serious because Restore is drawing support from former Reform voters. Lowe himself was expelled from Reform following a bitter dispute with Zia Yusuf, while former Reform London mayoral candidate Howard Cox has also joined his breakaway movement.

Restore has also secured powerful backing from Elon Musk, who rejected Farage’s attempts to win his support. The billionaire’s influence on X has given Lowe’s party an influential platform as it attempts to establish itself.

Farage is now forced to consider a deal

The pressure has already changed Farage’s position. He has indicated he is open to an agreement with Lowe, despite previously insisting that Reform would fight independently.

For Reform, the danger is brutal: a divided right could leave Farage unable to convert strong support into power. The party’s problems are compounded by questions over donations, sleaze and recent electoral setbacks.

One Farage ally compared Restore’s impact to Ukip’s effect on the Conservatives before the Brexit referendum. But unlike the Tories then, Reform has no obvious mechanism for neutralising the rival now siphoning votes from its own base.

Why the rise of Restore Britain is bad news for Farage

It’s tough on the extreme right, there are only so many racists, bigots and knuckle draggers to go around.

They’ll need to learn to share.

35 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s tough on the extreme right, there are only so many racists, bigots and knuckle draggers to go around.

The v limited/almost non-existant number of bonafide racists is the reason team woke need to perpetually carry out race hoaxes a la Smollett.