Latest news with #RestoreBritain
New Statesman
14-07-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
What Conservatives get wrong about London
Photo by'Everywhere you go you hear different languages being spoken and it's like a mixing pot. I'm sure I shouldn't use that term, but it's good though… Immigration's a good thing!' Which woke, liberal lefty could possibly have come up with such praise of London's rampant multiculturalism? Who could face standing up for a capital city in which 41 per cent of residents were born abroad? The answer is Susan Hall, leader of the Conservatives in the London Assembly and the party's 2024 candidate of London mayor. Back when I interviewed her in 2023, Hall had countless criticisms of Sadiq Khan, but she was full of praise for the vibrant diversity of the city she was hoping to lead. True, she had a tendency to 'like' questionable posts on social media (an Enoch Powell meme with the caption 'it's never too late to get London back'), but she was keen to stress that tackling illegal immigration should not mean attacking the capital's longstanding reputation as a hub for people from all over the world to make their home. Hall has had a change of heart in the intervening years. Earlier this month she signed up to the advisory board Restore Britain, a new political movement run by erstwhile Reform MP Rupert Lowe. As well as promising to 'carpet-bomb the cancer of wokery', Restore Britain wants 'net negative immigration', achieved in part by doubling the departure of legal immigrants from the UK. It is not (yet) calling for mass deportations, but it does declare that 'millions of foreign nationals who cannot speak English… should go home'. Quite how that fits with celebrating the 'mixing pot' of languages Hall so recently enthused about is unclear. I mention Hall not to single her out personally, but because the apparent shift in her views is part of something bigger. It's fashionable in certain circles today to decry how 'London has fallen', thanks in large part to soaring immigration. The immigration-sceptic journalist David Goodhart was at it in the Evening Standard last month, arguing that 'Rapid demographic change has transformed London'. Days later the academic-turned-Reform-activist Matthew Goodwin got in on the action on Twitter, calling London 'a city in visible decline with deteriorating standards and no real sense of identity or belonging'. This week, Isabel Oakeshott (partner of Reform deputy leader Richard Tice) wrote in the Telegraph that she knew she'd made the right decision to emigrate from Britain to Dubai because she recently saw a stoned Rastafarian on the Embankment. This was apparently a shock to her – clearly she never hung out in Camden in the nineties. As well as being quite blurry on the distinction between people who have crossed the Channel in small boats and those here with valid visas, those indulging in this trend like to hint at – or explicitly make – the link between rising immigration and rising crime, from fare-dodging and rough-sleeping to phone theft and shoplifting. This is great for rhetoric, but light on facts. Fare-dodging, while both visible and infuriating (hence the success of Robert Jenrick's viral video confronting evaders) is at 3.4 per cent both lower in London than many global cities (it's three times higher in New York, for example) and is falling rather than rising. Plus there's no evidence this is linked to immigration, just as there isn't with shoplifting, which is more likely to be driven by the cost of living crisis. And the capital is still safer than, say, Manchester, which gets none of the same vitriol. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe It's true that foreign nationals are overrepresented in the London homelessness statistics, but not by much (St Mungo's estimates they make up 48 per cent of the rough-sleeping population, compared to 41 per cent of the capital's population as a whole), and the Home Office must take some responsibility, given the lack of accommodation during the multi-year waits for asylum processing and the fact claimants are forbidden from working during this time. And, as my colleague Anoosh Chakelian has outlined this week, the argument that immigrants unfairly sucking up Britain's social housing is also patently false: '48 per cent of London's social housing is occupied by foreign-born heads of household (the person who fills in the Census form). Hardly surprising, given 49 per cent of the capital's households include someone born overseas'. (Born overseas – like Robert Jenrick's wife was. Or Nigel Farage's ex-wife. Or Boris Johnson himself.) London is of course beset with reasons people might wish to avoid it. It's loud and crowded and everything is too bloody expensive, from the £8 pints to the £1,900 monthly rent of a one-bed flat in Zone 2. The housing crisis is acute here in part due to rising numbers, but mostly due to decades of failure to build enough houses. Nightlife is struggling, due not to immigrants but in large part to their absence (the more than 80,000 EU hospitality workers who left in 2021 alone have left a massive gap). And don't even get me started on the Nimbys who move to places like Soho than try to get every pub and bar within a 500m radius shut down so they can go to bed at 9pm on a Friday night. If anyone should be firmly encouraged to leave the capital, surely they should be top of the list. But it's also, as it always was, a city of chaos and joy and spontaneity. The fashionable bewailing of a London long gone reveals a distinct lack of familiarity with the city the authors claim to despise. As the punk-rock singer Frank Turner once put it in his lament for the closed Astoria music venue 'singalongs go on but they're singing different songs in rooms that we don't know on the other side of the city'. Things change, but there is all kinds of fun to be had by those who can be bothered to find it, much of it staffed and provided by the sort of people Restore Britain think should emigrate. You can get £15 tickets on the day for a wealth of West End shows – then, if you know where to look, find the secret wine bars serving until 3am. The restaurants and food carts will take you on a culinary trip to anywhere in the world. If that's this all sounds too expensive and elitist, the city remains a haven for those looking for entertainment on the cheap; free museums, free parks (Goodhart and the like rarely mention that London is the second greenest city in the world), street performances and pop-up events. Head to the redeveloped oasis of Kings Cross this summer and you can sit, cost-free, on the steps of the canal and enjoy the open-air cinema screening Wimbledon, Wicked and Paddington in Peru. Speaking of Paddington every additional 'London has fallen' diatribe reminds me of the equally unfounded zombie myth that the capital is 'unfriendly', when its diversity is exactly why it has been such a beacon to all-comers for centuries. Goodhart writes in his piece that 'Many parts of the capital would fail my integration 'bus stop' test — can you share a joke at a bus stop with a stranger from a different ethnicity about something you have both heard on national media?' If such a test ever existed elsewhere in the country, it is something I have never encountered in my three-plus decades in the capital. Most Londoners would balk at an unsolicited bus stop chat not because they are foreigners who have shamefully failed to integrate, but because infringing on someone's precious quiet time mid-travel is a profoundly rude and un-London thing to do. That is not how residents here show their camaraderie with their neighbours, and the narrative that this is a deficiency tends to be pushed by people who don't like it much and therefore fail to understand one of its key charms. As Mrs Brown tells our ursine Peruvian immigrant: 'In London everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in.' 2023-era Susan Hall would surely approve. [See more: The OBR is always wrong] Related
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MP inundated with racist abuse after online post
An MP says he has been "inundated with racist comments" after he questioned another MP's plans to start an organisation to "change the way Britain is governed". Huntingdon Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty retweeted independent Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe's post on X announcing the launch of Restore Britain, asking why it cost £20 to join. Obese-Jecty said as a result he received online "racist comments, pictures comparing me to a monkey" and was told to "return to your ethnic homeland". The BBC has approached Lowe, who was previously a Reform UK MP, for comment. Obese-Jecty, a former Army officer who later worked in financial services, won the Cambridgeshire seat in last year's general election. Businessman Lowe, a former Southampton Football Club chairman, won his Norfolk seat last year, initially for Reform UK, but has been sitting as an independent since March. He launched Restore Britain on Monday, saying it was "a movement for those who believe that we need to fundamentally change the way Britain is governed". "This is not a political party, but a fundamentally different way of doing things," he said. People wishing to join the membership organisation were asked to pay a £20 annual subscription. Obese-Jecty said he had been "absolutely inundated with racist comments" after he questioned the fee. "I got called an Uncle Tom, which is a race traitor, I was told I should be deported back to my home country, [and] that foreigners should be banned from British politics," he said. "It went on and on and this is sadly par for the course from certain very online sections of our political commentary... it's something I notice is getting increasingly worse and I get targeted from all sides of the political spectrum." Obese-Jecty said he raised the comments directly with the Great Yarmouth MP when they met in the House of Commons' tearoom. He said he told Lowe: "I was very disappointed about the racist abuse I'd received from people who purport to be your supporters. "[Lowe] very much shrugged his shoulders at it and said, 'Well that's not down to me'." The Huntingdon MP said this was particularly disappointing as one of the surprises of his first year in Parliament was "the amount of collegiate work that goes on around the House of Commons". "It was disappointing that that cross-party bonhomie doesn't extend to everybody," he added. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Ex-Reform MP Lowe will not face charges over alleged threats MP irked as Cromwell treated in cavalier fashion House of Commons
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Huntingdon MP 'inundated with racism' after online post
An MP says he has been "inundated with racist comments" after he questioned another MP's plans to start an organisation to "change the way Britain is governed".Huntingdon Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty retweeted independent Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe's post on X announcing the launch of Restore Britain, asking why it cost £20 to join. Obese-Jecty said as a result he received online "racist comments, pictures comparing me to a monkey" and was told to "return to your ethnic homeland". The BBC has approached Lowe, who was previously a Reform UK MP, for comment. Obese-Jecty, a former Army officer who later worked in financial services, won the Cambridgeshire seat in last year's general Lowe, a former Southampton Football Club chairman, won his Norfolk seat last year, initially for Reform UK, but has been sitting as an independent since March. He launched Restore Britain on Monday, saying it was "a movement for those who believe that we need to fundamentally change the way Britain is governed"."This is not a political party, but a fundamentally different way of doing things," he wishing to join the membership organisation were asked to pay a £20 annual subscription. Obese-Jecty said he had been "absolutely inundated with racist comments" after he questioned the fee. "I got called an Uncle Tom, which is a race traitor, I was told I should be deported back to my home country, [and] that foreigners should be banned from British politics," he said. "It went on and on and this is sadly par for the course from certain very online sections of our political commentary... it's something I notice is getting increasingly worse and I get targeted from all sides of the political spectrum." Disappointing response Obese-Jecty said he raised the comments directly with the Great Yarmouth MP when they met in the House of Commons' tearoom. He said he told Lowe: "I was very disappointed about the racist abuse I'd received from people who purport to be your supporters."[Lowe] very much shrugged his shoulders at it and said, 'Well that's not down to me'."The Huntingdon MP said this was particularly disappointing as one of the surprises of his first year in Parliament was "the amount of collegiate work that goes on around the House of Commons"."It was disappointing that that cross-party bonhomie doesn't extend to everybody," he added. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Spectator
02-07-2025
- Business
- Spectator
The new right is splintering
When Elon Musk tweeted his vision for an 'America Party', he ignited a firestorm of hope and scepticism. The idea was inspired by his anger for Donald Trump's $5 trillion spending bill. In the UK, Ben Habib and Rupert Lowe, formerly figures in Reform, have splintered away from Britain's populist party over splits with Nigel Farage. Musk, Habib and Lowe are all disruptors united by disdain for broken systems, and all face harsh electoral realities. In the US, a hypothetical Musk-led party could split the Republican vote, potentially handing Democrats victories. Habib and Lowe could dilute the populist vote in the UK, most of which is currently with Reform. Musk's flirtation with a new political movement stems from his clash with Trump over fiscal policy. Musk's platform – slashing deficits, deregulating business and boosting high-skilled immigration – appeals to tech-savvy moderates and disillusioned independents. On X, Musk has framed himself as a voice for the pragmatic middle, critiquing both parties' extremes. But his vision lacks the cultural red meat – 'America First' border control or anti-woke rhetoric – that fuels Trump's MAGA base. Musk's $250 million investment in America PAC for Trump's 2024 campaign shows his financial clout, but he would struggle to go it alone. The US electoral landscape is unforgiving to new parties. In 1992, Ross Perot's Reform party won 19 per cent of the vote but zero electoral votes, a cautionary tale for any Musk-led venture. State-by-state ballot access laws, such as California's requirement of roughly 131,000 signatures, would also pose logistical hurdles. Musk's wealth – estimated at $400 billion in 2025 – could fund signature drives and ad campaigns, but building a national infrastructure by 2026 is daunting. Republican strategists have suggested that Musk could reshape the party from within, using his America PAC influence and X's narrative-shaping power, rather than risk starting a third party and failing. Others have warned that his centrist pitch – pro-immigration, pro-tech – alienates voters demanding border security and cultural conservatism. Polls, while unconfirmed for 2025, suggest Republicans view third-party efforts sceptically. Across the Atlantic, Habib and Lowe embody a parallel populist surge. Habib has launched a new political party, Advance UK, which he says stands for a 'proud' and 'independent' United Kingdom, where 'the political views you hold won't land you in jail'. It is billed as an alternative to Reform. Lowe, meanwhile, has just launched Restore Britain, a 'movement' that will pressure political parties to 'slash immigration, protect British culture, restore Christian principles, carpet-bomb the cancer of wokery'. The UK's first-past-the-post system is brutal – Reform's 14 per cent in 2024 yielded just five MPs – and so a fragmented populist vote could split the right and gift Labour seats. Populism in the US and UK shares politics but fights different battles. Musk decries bureaucratic bloat and unfulfilled 2016 promises, while Habib and Lowe target Labour's cultural shifts and attack Farage personally. Musk's X is the transatlantic wildcard, shaping narratives but fuelling polarisation. Reports earlier this year suggested Musk was thinking about making a significant investment in UK politics. In the US, his $250 million America PAC war chest (and X's reach) give him leverage, but Republican loyalties and the Electoral College limit third-party impact. Disruption without cohesion breeds division. The US and the UK need fresh ideas, but splitting conservative votes could empower the elites they oppose. The lesson is clear: conservatives must channel their zeal to reform existing parties from within. To do otherwise risks electoral failure.
Spectator
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Can these Farage rivals' start-ups hurt Reform?
You wait ages for a right-wing movement to come along – and then two do so at once. Former MEPs Ben Habib and Rupert Lowe both launched rival outlets yesterday. Habib now leads 'Advance UK', a political party whose first aim is to reach 30,000 members. Meanwhile, Lowe has started 'Restore Britain', a 'bottom-up movement' which welcomes members from all parties. It aims to start legal challenges, fund investigative journalists and champion whistleblowers. Both are ex-Reformers who came off worst in a fight with Nigel Farage The two movements share several key features. The first is a championing of direct democracy, with both Advance and Restore urging members to join and shape their direction. The second is a focus on argument, ideology and principles, rather than the nuts-and-bolts work of door knocking and campaigning in the mould of traditional political parties and pressure groups. Of the two, Lowe's is the more intriguing. He is championing the 'Great Repeal Act' – a popular idea on the British right, to undo much of New Labour's constitutional settlement. Habib's 12-minute launch video consists mainly of him talking to the camera about internal party reform. Unlike Habib, Lowe is an MP and thus able to enjoy the use of written questions in the House, airtime in the chamber and parliamentary privilege when discussing contentious matters. Yet the challenge facing both men is evident on day one. It is extraordinarily difficult to establish a new political party in the UK. For Reform, it took four years and hundreds of thousands of pounds just to get to the point last July where they won five seats. Organisation is key to success in British politics. The fact that both men launched on the same day is not a promising sign. Neither man did any pre-briefing; there was no big press conference to impress the Westminster press pack. As a result, neither launch garnered so much as a mention in today's Daily Mail or Telegraph – two papers which share many of Lowe and Habib's own views. Both men have big followings on X but even in a social media age, they will likely struggle to get cut-through. The striking thing is that both men have decided to pursue separate ventures, rather than pooling resources and working together. Both are ex-Reformers who came off worst in a fight with Nigel Farage. They are each, understandably, bruised by that experience, which continues to shape their respective politics and their causes. Lowe and Habib clearly hope to hurt Reform by claiming back the intellectual and political leadership of the right. But the fact that they, so far, have been unable to work together will be held up as proof by Farage as one reason why they will never supplant him.
