Tim Phipps 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧

Some people say Restore Britain should disband because we are “splitting the vote” or because Reform is currently polling higher. My answer to them is this: No political party owns the votes of the British people. Restore Britain exists because there are a great many people who believe Britain needs something different to what any of the other parties offer. There are a great many of them who are uncomfortable with Reform UK’s leadership, the fire from the hip and fag packet policies, the weak statements made on immigration and Islamification, and the performative, celebrity politics its leaders like project. Those people are looking for statesmanship, strategic clarity and consistency, sincerity, credibility, depth, detail, frank talking and moral courage. Restore’s supporters are entitled to that choice, just as Reform, Conservative, Labour and Green voters are entitled to theirs. Also, contrary to the often posed argument, polling numbers do not determine who will win a general election 3 years away, nor do they give any political party ownership of the political field. Polls and by-election results are snapshots. They change, both up and down, and they do not determine what voters should believe or which political choices should be available to them. If Reform wants the support of voters, it should earn it, not demand another party stands aside and gives it a free pass. Rupert Lowe has already publicly offered to put personalities and past disagreements aside and explore cooperation in the national interest. Reform UK has rejected the offer. That door remains open. But, for the reasons I’ve stated, cooperation does not mean one party being expected to disband so that another can inherit its voters simply because it currently polls higher. Nor can it be assumed that every Restore supporter would automatically vote Reform if Restore did not exist. That cannot be assumed more than it can be assumed all Reform voters would vote for Restore if Reform collapsed. Yes, it’s a convenient argument for Reform’s leadership and supporters to make, but they know well how quickly things can change. And, in their hearts they know it’s a political argument that has no evidential basis and fails to take account of the differences I’ve mentioned. If Restore members wanted to support Reform they already would. But they don’t. Indeed, many have moved the other way - from Reform to Restore. If those who genuinely want political cooperation want to talk seriously about it, then talk. Until then, Restore Britain will continue to make its case to the British people, and the British people will decide.