The Reform UK leader has said one thing must happen for him to strike a deal with Lowe’s Restore Britain.
The Reform UK leader has said one thing must happen for him to strike a deal with Lowe’s Restore Britain (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage has said that no deal with Restore Britain will be struck unless Rupert Lowe expels a co-founder, Charlie Downes. The Reform UK leader put direct pressure on former Reform MP Rupert Lowe following explosive comments made by Mr Downes, who suggested Mr Farage had been “bought” by Jewish supporters.
While Mr Farage had previously been “open-minded” about a potential electoral arrangement between the two right-wing parties, Reform UK has now drawn a firm line in the sand. A spokesperson for Reform UK confirmed that no discussions will take place until Mr Lowe takes decisive action against the Restore Britain co-founder.
They said: “There are antisemitic and extreme racists at or near the top of the party, and they would have to go first.
No Reform-Restore deal will materialise unless Charlie Downes is expelled, Farage has said (Image: Getty)
“We’re happy to talk but we can’t do when there are people in the party like Charlie Downes,” the spokesperson told The Telegraph.
They added: “This all started with the Groypers in the US and it’s happening here, putting out this anti-Jewish stuff that is very similar to the far-left.”
Despite the growing backlash, Mr Lowe’s social media activity suggests the Great Yarmouth MP continues to back Mr Downes. Thanking supporters following a turbulent week, Mr Lowe wrote on X: “What a week – lots of abuse, attacks and smears. I want to thank our Restore Britain volunteers, supporters, branch organisers and the entire team for building something that has petrified the establishment. Lots of work to do, but we are making remarkable progress.”
Meanwhile, Mr Downes launched a scathing attack on media coverage, writing: “The Telegraph, on the other hand, has spent the last three years running cover for Israel’s genocide against Muslims in Gaza.”
Lowe also demanded former Tory MPs be excluded from any future Cabinet (Image: Getty)
The row comes after Mr Lowe extended an olive branch to Mr Farage following the Greater Manchester Mayoral Election. However, the Restore Britain founder put forward strict conditions that would have placed the Reform leader in a difficult position – including a demand to exclude former Conservative MPs from any future Cabinet.
Reform UK’s Chief Whip Lee Anderson dismissed Mr Lowe’s demands, urging him to get behind Mr Farage if he is serious about ousting Labour.
Mr Anderson said: “Probably the best thing for Rupert to do at the moment, if he’s serious about getting rid of this Labour Government, is to publicly endorse Nigel as the next prime minister of this country, and row back on the comments he made about Suella, Rob Jenrick and Danny Kruger.
“If he can do that, then you can have a conversation. They’ve left the Tory Party on a point of principle, as I did. We need these people in Government to help save our country. Even the most hardline Restore voters would see that if we do take power, you need people with a lot of experience in there.”
Mr Anderson also made clear that Reform UK candidates would not step aside in constituencies to give Restore Britain a free run.