Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain has had a mixed record of success since it was founded as a political party a little over six months ago. Envisioned as a more Right-wing alternative to Reform UK that would remove “millions” of migrants from the country, it has since claimed to amass over 100,000 members and acted as a thorn in the side of Nigel Farage. Yet the party has struggled to prove itself as a powerful electoral vehicle.

The problems go deeper. Though Lowe is the party’s frontman, questions have swirled as to who is really in charge. A source familiar with Restore’s leadership told UnHerd: “Rupert has nothing to do with the party. He makes a video now and then, he does his MP role, and that’s all he does.” The main powerbroker, according to the source, is instead a close aide of Lowe’s called Alistair Harrison.

Harrison previously served as a Ukip press officer and worked in Brussels along with others such as Liam Porter, who was chief of staff to former Ukip MEP James Carver. Harrison and Porter joined Lowe’s new venture after his split from Reform and, according to multiple people familiar with the party, Harrison now holds significant control over Restore’s operations.

Catherine Blaiklock was previously leader of the Brexit Party, and was formerly close with both Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe. She joined Restore in 2025, yet found over time that “Alistair runs everything”, adding to UnHerd that “he does all the tweeting, all the organization, the videos, appoints the regional directors, everything.” Blaiklock claimed that she repeatedly raised criticisms of a lack of direction and strategy — including the filling of party roles with “friends of Alistair’s” and picking poor candidates for by-elections and local councils — but found such criticisms only elicited an “aggressive” response from Lowe. Online videos have apparently shown Lowe asking Harrison for permission for the party’s Makerfield by-election candidate Rebecca Shepherd to speak with the media.

“Rupert likes to spend time on his farm, he’s 68, he’s got other businesses and he’s in Parliament,” Blaiklock said. “Alistair does the work of five people. He’s like a robot. He runs everything — so if he doesn’t like you, you’ve had it.”

Others raised similar concerns. A source with knowledge of the leadership said criticisms had frequently been raised with Lowe about professionalism and strategy, including the lack of a clear party authority structure, but the leader was not interested. The source added that “if you say anything about Alistair, [Lowe] goes mad.” They also claimed that Harrison was paid well by the party, receiving consultant fees including payment for social media posts. Lowe has made over £105,000 since 2024 from posts on X.

Another former member, Nick Seton-Rogers, joined Restore after being a member of the far-Right Advance UK. When Advance folded, he made an offer to Lowe to contribute a large number of people to set up a Restore North East branch. Seton-Rogers said that Lowe initially reacted to the suggestion positively, but that he and the over 60 members who signed up as volunteers received no further response when passed on to party organizers.

When Seton-Rogers later attempted to set up a Restore North East event, he said it felt that “at every turn [the party] were trying to shut us down.” He claimed that a branch organizer from London was then imposed on local members in Gateshead without consultation, adding that there was “no question” the person making decisions in the party was Harrison. Seton-Rogers resigned from the party in early September.

During the party’s campaign in the Makerfield by-election, Mark Harrop, a former council candidate aligned with the party in Sheffield, also signed up as a volunteer. He told UnHerd that canvassers like him were treated with “disrespect” and often entirely ignored, claiming that party leadership had been known to refer to members as “scum”.

“I think the party is going to be split in two,” said Seton-Rogers, pointing to a divide between the ethnats (ethnonationalists), who believe that nationality is defined by ethnicity (and among whom 25-year-old Restore spokesperson Charlie Downes is seen a “messiah”, according to another former member) and civnats (civic nationalists), who believe national belonging is defined by adherence to shared laws.

Seton-Rogers suggested that Ben Habib, the founder of Advance who folded the party to support Restore, had wanted to join as deputy leader, but that significant sections of the membership would not accept a leader of Pakistani heritage. He also noted a “deep vein of antisemitism and misogyny” among much of the party base.

Orla Minihane, Restore’s former women and girls spokesperson, resigned her position last week after facing backlash from members over comments at an event at the party’s Gateshead branch, where she said that all British girls, regardless of race, should be protected against abuse. Minihane told UnHerd that she left the party as she felt a large fraction of the members’ beliefs and mindset “didn’t align” with her own.

Despite internal tensions, Blaiklock suggested there was “no chance” of Lowe breaking with Harrison, saying the two were held together “like glue”. According to Seton-Rogers, “unless you’re a little yes-man who kowtows to what Alistair says, you’re out.”

Rupert Lowe MP said: “Claims, from these anonymous and evidently disgruntled sources, in this piece are simply entirely inaccurate, to the point of absurdity.

These relentless attacks are boring and do the work of our rotten establishment that is desperate for a flourishing Restore Britain to fail.”