The Restore Britain party was last night told to address urgently claims of anti-Semitism among high-profile supporters and officials.
The hard-Right rivals to Reform UK, on course to help Labour candidate Andy Burnham win the Makerfield by-election, were yesterday presented with evidence of vile comments made by those connected to the party.
But the party, led by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, failed to disavow statements that included calling for the deportation of Jews and insinuations that Nigel Farage has been bought by Jewish money.
One of the party’s highest-profile supporters, far-Right activist Steve Laws, runs a group campaigning for the total deportation of those with non-white heritage from Britain.
One of the earliest backers of Restore, he has repeatedly encouraged his 140,000 followers on X to get involved in campaigning for the party.
This weekend, he sparked outrage after interview comments emerged of him calling for the removal of Jews from Britain, whom he branded ‘foreign’.
Mr Laws has also branded Adolf Hitler a ‘misunderstood politician’, and cast doubt on the true number murdered in the Holocaust.
Earlier this month, Mr Laws said he and his supporters ‘are helping build Restore’, adding: ‘Restore is the vehicle to a better future for our people. It’s as simple as that. That’s why I support them.’
Rupert Lowe’s party Restore Britain is under fire after failing to disavow calls for the deportation of Jews and insinuations that Nigel Farage has been bought by Jewish money
Far-Right activist Steve Laws denounced Jewish people as ‘foreign’ and called for their deportation and branded Adolf Hitler a ‘misunderstood politician’. Lowe’s party failed to condemn this or clarify if he was a Restore member in ‘daily’ contact with Lowe’s advisers
Yesterday, the party failed to condemn his deportation comments, arguing ‘we are not going to police our membership’.
A spokesman added: ‘What Steve Laws says is up to Steve Laws, it has absolutely nothing to do with us.’
But they refused to answer key questions about whether Mr Laws is a member of Restore, and about his claims that he is in ‘daily’ contact with Mr Lowe’s advisers.
Nor did the party condemn posts from one official that appeared to imply Nigel Farage has been bought by Jewish money.
Replying to a tweet by Mr Farage in which he said he ‘can’t be bought’, Restore Britain’s campaigns director Charlie Downes posted an image of Mr Farage at the launch event for Reform’s ‘Jewish Alliance’ group.
Mr Downes later said: ‘MPs should serve their constituents and Britain’s national interests, not foreign lobbies and minority advocacy groups.’
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Restore Britain’s spokesman backed their official, saying: ‘He’s absolutely right. Restore Britain will put the British interests first. Each and every time.’
Asked about other media reports of far-Right activists signing up as Restore Britain members and helping campaign for the party, the spokesman said: ‘We have been very clear. We are not going to police our membership. The membership endorses our position, not the reverse, obviously.’
But the party was condemned by the Campaign Against Antisemitism over its failure to distance itself from those perpetrating offensive and anti-Semitic views.
A spokesman for the group told the Daily Mail: ‘This rhetoric and these associations are gravely concerning.
‘At a time when some fringe parties are failing to show where they stand on anti-Semitism and extremism, Restore should set itself apart and speak out. If it fails to do so, that will send a clear message of its own.
‘Jews are not “foreign”. Does Restore accept that? Saying that this is a matter for members won’t cut it: some of this is from people who appear to have formal roles in the party.
‘This is the difference between being a loose-knit provocative protest group and a serious political party. Which does Restore want to be?’
Labour, however, is revelling in the rise of the party as opposition to Reform, as it threatens to split the vote on the Right and pave the way for Mr Burnham to return to Parliament at next month’s Makerfield by-election.
Should parties distance themselves from controversial supporters?
Restore Britain’s entrance into the Makerfield by-election race will help Labour’s Andy Burnham’s cause as it threatens to split votes on the Right, away from second favourite Reform
Reform’s candidate Rob Kenyon (left) is hot on Andy Burnham’s heels in the polls but Restore’s candidate Rebecca Shepherd is gaining ground, taking from Reform’s support. Pictured: Nigel Farage visited Makerfield with Mr Kenyon last Wednesday
Polling this weekend saw Reform trailing Mr Burnham by three points, with Restore in third place, mopping up a crucial 7 per cent of support.
Labour sources in Makerfield say they have found notable levels of support for Restore in the constituency – backing up the weekend poll.
One Labour campaign source revealed that they have had to adapt their own campaign data collection systems to add a button for voters saying they’re backing Restore, ‘as it is coming up so often’.
A senior Labour MP said Restore is ‘definitely a feature on the doorstep’ and the party is ‘clearly very well funded’.
One Burnham activist said they had encouraged one voter wavering between Reform and Restore to ‘consider’ Mr Lowe’s party.
It came as elections expert Sir John Curtice joined voices saying that Restore Britain’s candidacy in the Makerfield by-election is ‘good news’ for Mr Burnham. He warned that Mr Lowe’s party is making life ‘much more difficult’ for Mr Farage, given the seat is on ‘an absolute knife-edge’.
‘Restore Britain is intervening and making life much more difficult for Reform. On the one hand, so far as Burnham is concerned, the intervention of Restore Britain is definitely good news.
‘On the other hand, it also shows that if Reform are able to squeeze this Restore vote – because they’ve lost one in eight of their 2024 voters to Restore – then, even if this poll is accurate, Reform could still overtake Andy Burnham.’
