US tech billionaire Elon Musk has shared a tweet from Restore Britain, a new party founded by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe. The intervention comes weeks before the by-election in Makerfield, Greater Manchester, where Labour candidate Andy Burnham is standing on 18 June. A Survation poll puts Burnham on 43 percent, narrowly ahead of Reform candidate Robert Kenyon on 40 percent – Restore Britain is on seven percent.
Restore Britain was set up by Rupert Lowe, who left Reform after a spectacular split with party leader Nigel Farage. Lowe had his whip withdrawn following allegations of bullying and verbal abuse, which he denies. His new party is fielding Rebecca Shepherd, a 53-year-old businesswoman, and appears to be drawing votes away from Reform – much to Farage’s annoyance.
Nigel Farage reacted angrily to Musk’s support for the rival party. “Elon Musk has decided to split the right in British politics as much as possible,” Farage told the Telegraph. “This is backing a party that consists of a man with a social media account.” Former “Dragons’ Den” star Duncan Bannatyne has also thrown his weight behind Restore Britain.
Labour campaign staff report that support for Restore Britain has noticeably increased on the doorstep. If the right-wing split persists, Burnham could win the seat despite his narrow lead. EuroPulse reported on 20 May on Burnham’s backing for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s controversial migration plans (https://europulse.today/andy-burnham-unterstuetzt-shabana-mahmood-migration/).
Source: www.theguardian.com
