Restore Britain faces ‘anti-Semitism’ outrage – but rivals to Reform insist they won’t ‘police their membership’

Last night the Restore Britain party was told to urgently address allegations of anti-Semitism among its high-profile supporters and officials.

Reform England’s far-right rivals, who are on track to help Labor candidate Andy Burnham win the Makerfield by-election, were yesterday presented with evidence of vile comments made by people linked to the party.

But the party, led by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, did not reject statements that included calls for the deportation of Jews and insinuations that Nigel Farage was bought off with Jewish money.

Far-right activist Steve Laws, one of the party’s most high-profile supporters, runs a group campaigning for the full deportation of people from non-white backgrounds from Britain.

An early supporter of Restore, he repeatedly encouraged his 140,000 followers on X to join campaigns for the party.

He sparked outrage this weekend after interview comments emerged in which he called for Jews, whom he branded “aliens”, to be removed from Britain.

Mr Laws also branded Adolf Hitler a ‘misunderstood politician’ and cast doubt on the true number of those killed in the Holocaust.

Earlier this month Mr Laws said he and his supporters had ‘helped build Restore’, adding: ‘Restore is the vehicle to a better future for our people. It’s that simple. That’s why I support them.’

Far-right activist Steve Laws has accused Jews of being ‘aliens’, called for their deportation and branded Adolf Hitler a ‘misunderstood politician’. Lowe’s party did not condemn this or clarify whether Lowe was a member of Restore who was in ‘daily’ contact with his advisers

Yesterday the party did not condemn his expulsion comments, arguing that ‘we will not 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 was a member of Restore and Mr Lowe’s claims that he was in ‘daily’ contact with his advisers.

The party also did not condemn an ​​official’s posts implying that Nigel Farage was bought with Jewish money.

Responding to a tweet in which Mr Farage said he ‘can’t be bought’, Restore Britain campaign director Charlie Downes posted a photo of Mr Farage at the launch event of 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.’

A spokesman for Restore Britain also backed its officials, saying: ‘He is absolutely right. Reestablishing Britain will put Britain’s interests first. Always.’

Asked about other media reports that Far Right activists had signed up as Restore Britain members and helped the party’s campaigns, the spokesman said: ‘We have been very clear. We will not police our membership. The membership clearly supports our position, not the other way around.’

However, the party was condemned by the Campaign Against Antisemitism for failing to distance itself from offensive and anti-Semitic views.

A spokesperson for the group told the Daily Mail: ‘This rhetoric and these connotations are extremely worrying.

‘At a time when some fringe parties are failing to show where they stand on anti-Semitism and extremism, Restore must distinguish itself and speak out. If he fails to do so, that in itself will send a clear message.

‘Jews are not ‘foreigners’. Does Restore accept this? It is not enough to say that this is a matter for members: some of it comes from people who appear to have official roles in the party.

‘This is the difference between being a loose provocative protest group and a serious political party. Which one does Restore want to be?’

But Labor is reveling in the party’s anti-Reform surge as it threatens to split votes on the right and pave the way for Mr Burnham to return to parliament in next month’s Makerfield by-election.

Restoring Britain’s entry into the Makersfield byelection race will help Labour’s Andy Burnham’s cause as it threatens to divert votes on the Right away from second favorite Reform

Reform candidate Rob Kenyon (left) is trailing Burnham in the polls but Restore candidate Rebecca Shepherd is gaining ground, benefiting from Reform’s support. Picture: Farage visited Makersfield with Kenyon last Wednesday

Polls this weekend showed Reform trailing Mr Burnham by three points, with Restore in third place with a significant 7 per cent support rating.

Labor sources in Makerfield say it has found significant support for Restore in the constituency and supports the weekend poll.

A Labor campaign source explained that they had to adapt their campaign data collection system to include a button for voters who said they supported Restore ‘because it comes up so often’.

A senior Labor MP said Restore was ‘absolutely a property on the doorstep’ and that the party was ‘clearly very well funded’.

A Burnham activist said they were encouraging a voter undecided between Reform and Restore to ‘consider’ Mr Lowe’s party.

It comes as election expert Sir John Curtice joined voices saying Restore Britain’s candidacy in the Makerfield by-election was ‘good news’ for Andy Burnham. He warned that Mr Lowe’s party was making life ‘much more difficult’ for Mr Farage, given the seat was ‘absolutely on a knife edge’.

‘Resetting Britain’ interferes and makes life for the Reformation much more difficult. On the one hand, for Burnham, Restore Britain’s intervention is certainly good news.

‘On the other hand, if Reform can squeeze out those Restore votes (because they’ve lost an eighth of the 2024 electorate to Restore) it also suggests that even if this poll is correct, Reform could still outperform Andy Burnham.’