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Restore Britain, the far-right political party headed by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, is putting forward 13 activists as candidates in one area up for election this May. But all of them are being presented to voters as ‘independents’.
In England, there is no legal duty to disclose if you are a member of a political party when standing for election – nor any bar to running as an ‘independent’ even if your party has officially endorsed you.
The nascent party in Sheffield announced last week that it has been ‘busy, busy, and BUSY’ and that ‘we have 13 Independent Candidates for you’, with several of them posting person introductions via the page.
None of the independents standing with the backing of Restore Britain appear to have recorded an affiliation with the party on their nomination documents, though the ‘Restore Britain – Sheffield’ page has listed statements by some of them endorsing the party and stating their intention to run as independent candidates.
Some have identified themselves as members of Lowe’s party in statements online, whereas others seem less public about their affiliation with the party which backs mass deportations and whose leader has said “millions” of migrants living in Britain “will have to go”.
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‘Aligned with Restore‘
A candidate statement on the website WhoCanIVoteFor describes Restore-backed Josh Darling as an ‘Independent’, adding: “We need somebody truly outside the establishment.” Restore is not mentioned. However, Darling’s X account refers to him as an ‘Independent candidate for Shiregreen & Brightside” and ‘Restore Party Member.’
In one post on Restore’s Sheffield page, Craig Myers describes himself as “Independent Candidate for the Beighton Ward (Aligned with Restore Britain)”.
Another, Ronnie Corbett (described in a Restore Sheffield Facebook post incorrectly as ‘Ronnie Barker’) similarly refers to himself as a ‘Restore Britain member’ standing as the ‘Independent Candidate for The Mosborough Ward’.
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One of the candidates, David Cronshaw, has also stated that the would-be councillors, if elected, will switch parties, writing in a Facebook post on 7th April: “It perhaps goes without saying all our candidates are members of Restore Britain!”
He added: “Subject to them gaining the majority of votes off [sic] constituents in the Wards they are to represent and them winning in the Local elections and then passing the subsequent vetting procedures our people would move from being Independent Councillors to represent the Party itself…So if you like and agree with what Rupert Lowe and Restore Britain are saying, you need to ensure you look out for the independent candidate in your areas.”
Byline Times has contacted Restore Britain for comment.
The Party With No Name
Restore Britain has not formally nominated any candidates in this mega-round of elections, according to data from Democracy Club, though ten ‘Great Yarmouth First’ candidates – in Rupert Lowe’s home patch – are endorsed by the national party.
The party’s registration with the Electoral Commission was confirmed on 20th March, giving it nearly three weeks to nominate candidates before the 9th April deadline. However, leader Rupert Lowe announced on 1st April that his party would not field candidates under its own name in May’s local elections.
Electoral Commission filings also reveal the party has registered assets of £2,597,825.88 – a considerable sum for a new party with no electoral victories as yet.
All of its current 18 councillors have been secured through defections from already-elected councillors – including seven disgruntled or suspended former Reform councillors who recently formed a bloc in Kent.
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Disguised Affiliations?
Alex MacKinnon, a researcher at Hope Not Hate, told Byline Times: “While Restore Britain is not running any candidates under the official party title, there are several Independent candidates who are running in affiliation with them as members. Subsequently, candidates can disguise their extreme affiliations and seem more appealing to voters, while still reaping the benefits of partnering with a political party.”
“Rupert Lowe is by far the most extreme MP in recent memory and far-right figures, including open fascists and neo-Nazis, are vocally supporting his party.”
In an analysis of Restore in February, Hope Not Hate claimed the team around Lowe is “even more radical” than he is, with key outriders for the party openly advocating for “remigration” – forced, mass deportations of those here in Britain legally.
That month Lowe claimed that the party had 70,000 members, “which would make it considerably larger than the British National Party at its height,” Hope Not Hate says.
“If he keeps the extremists inside the tent, Restore could become the largest organised force on the extreme right in decades. However, a party visibly packed with fascists is easy to attack and isolate, and its ceiling would likely be low,” the group added.
It is possible that the electoral ceiling for such a party will be higher if they don’t actually run candidates in their own name.
Jeremy Corbyn’s left-wing Your Party is also backing a swathe of ‘Independent’ candidates in the May elections, with 22 identified as “Your Party backed Candidate” on the party’s website. Another 20 or so will be identified as official Your Party candidates on the ballot paper itself.
‘Independent’ Candidates Backed by Restore Britain in Sheffield
- Beighton – Craig Myers
- Birley – David Cronshaw
- Burngreave – Khalil Qasem
- Hillsborough – Mark Harrop
- Manor – Peter Reilly
- Mosborough – Ronnie Corbett
- Park & Arbourthorne – Dwaine Craven
- Richmond – Joe Greatorex
- Shiregreen & Brightside – Joshua Darling
- Southey – Joe Clark
- Stannington – Cameron Mannion
- Walkley – Harry Crawley
- Woodhouse – Dorne Carr
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