Rupert Lowe launches Restore Britain as political party with plan to stand 'hundreds of candidates' at next election

The launch as a national political party comes almost a year after his exit from Reform UK over allegations of bullying, which he denies.

As a movement, it received the backing of Elon Musk - a few months after it was reported the tech tycoon would consider supporting a "credible party to the right of Reform".

And on Saturday, Mr Musk told followers to join the party because Mr Lowe "is the only one who will actually do it".

Restore Britain is now expected to act as an umbrella political party, with locally based political parties as its partners.

Mr Lowe himself is set to stand again in his constituency with local party Great Yarmouth First, which will be a partner for Restore Britain.

In a launch video, he said his party would not include "failed ministers" or those "tainted by failures of the past" in an apparent swipe at Reform's Tory defectors.

He added that nothing had shaped his thinking more than Restore Britain's independent probe into the rape gangs - which he said had been created only "because the political system itself would not act".

Mr Lowe went on to pledge that his party would field "hundreds of qualified candidates from outside the existing political establishment" at the next General Election.

"They will not be failed ministers. They will not be politicians. They will be men and women who have succeeded in their own fields, and want to deliver a better Britain," he said.

"This will be an entirely different way of doing politics. Restore Britain will be the national umbrella organisation, and we will work with local parties to deliver local priorities for local people.

"Patriots from Reform, Conservatives, Advance, the SDP and more are welcome to join us - and invitations have already been issued."

Top Tories Susan Hall and Sir Gavin Williamson had long backed Restore Britain during its time as a "movement", and were involved in its advisory board.

But Sir Gavin suggested he would end his involvement after the switch.

It is understood that Ms Hall, the Conservative leader in the London Assembly, is also leaving Restore Britain's board.

Another former Reform UK figure, Ben Habib, launched his own rival party Advance UK last June.

Mr Habib had been replaced as Reform's deputy leader with Richard Tice in 2024 when Nigel Farage rejoined ahead of the election.

That was also backed by Elon Musk, who said: "Advance UK will actually drive change. Farage is weak sauce who will do nothing."

Mr Habib told GB News that he and Mr Musk had been in contact since that January, but denied Advance would "split the Reform vote".