The Conservative Party has explicitly ruled out any electoral pact with the far-right Restore Britain party, led by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe. This follows a series of Daily Mail exposés revealing extremist views among Restore Britain members, including a call for the deportation of Jews and a member posing with a neo-fascist flag while making a Nazi salute. Senior Conservative figure Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg warned that the party is too extreme for any "unite the right" agreement aimed at defeating Labour and the Greens.

Why Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg Called a Halt to the "Unite the Right" Push

According to the Daily Mail, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent backer of the newspaper's campaign to unify right-wing parties, explicitly stated that Restore Britain should not be included in any pact. He cited recent reporting that revealed members hold "some very undesirable views," and noted the party lacks the breadth of Reform UK. The Daily Mail's "unite the right" initiative had drawn attention to divisions within conservative politics, but Rees-Mogg's caution underscores the challenge of defining acceptable boundaries for the British right.

The broader context is a fragmented right-wing landscape where mainstream Conservatives fear contamination from extremist elements. The move echoes earlier tensions between the Tories and Reform UK, but Restore Britain's openly radical stance has made any formal alliance politically untenable—at least for now.

The Daily Mail Exposés That Sunk Restore Britain: Neo-Fascist Flags and Deportation Calls

The Daily Mail's exposés detailed a member who called for the deportation of Jews,another who posed with a neo-fascist flag and gave a Nazi salute, and the party's refusal to disavow those individuals. As reported by the source, Restore Britain eventually reinstated the member who made the salute, deepening the controversy. the revelations made any formal alliance with the Conservatives politically impossible—a point Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg emphasized in his warning.

What remains unclear is whether Restore Britain will take any internal action to distance itself from these extremists, or if the party's leadership endorses these views. The source does not quote Rupert Lowe responding to the specific allegations, only noting the party's claim that it is focusing resources on winnable seats.

Rupert Lowe's Committee Seat: A Thorn in the Tories' Side

Despite the flat denial of a pact, the Conservatives previously granted Lowe a seat on the Public Accounts Committee, and there were talks about his potential defection from Reform UK. According to the source, a senior Conservative source called allegations of a pact between party leader Kemi Badenoch and Lowe a "silly conspiracy theory." However, the Tories cannot remove Lowe from his committee seat without a special Commons motion, which is unlikely to pass. This leaves Lowe, the leader of a party the Tories now deem too extreme, embedded in a powerful parliamentary committee—an awkward situation that could cause ongoing friction.

Makerfield By-Election: Where the Right's Disunity Could Hand the Seat to Labour

The Makerfield by-election is the immediate flashpoint. Restore Britain is fielding a candidate, and the right-wing vote risks splitting, potentially handing the seat to Labour's Andy Burnham. The Conservatives' decision to rule out a pact with Restore Britain means they will not urge their supporters to vote tactically to block Labour.. Meanwhile, Restore Britain decided not to stand in the Aberdeen South by-election, claiming it is focusing on winnable seats—a decision the Tories might see as a small mercy but that also underscores how the new party is picking battles.

The by-election results will test whether the Tories' strategy of clear distancing can hold the Conservative vote together, or whether right-wing fragmentation continues to benefit Labour.

The Conservative Party's Flat Denial: "A Silly Conspiracy Theory"

The Conservative Party issued a statement explicitly denying any electoral pact with Restore Britain or its members, and emphasizing that Kemi Badenoch has not engaged in agreements with rival parties. A senior insider called the idea of a Badenoch-Lowe pact a "silly conspiracy theory." However, the denials come after earlier signs of a thawing relationship, including the committee seat and talks. The open question is whether these overtures were genuine attempts to bring Lowe into the fold or simply moves to weaken Reform UK. The source does not clarify this, leaving the reader to interpret the timeline.