Could a Rightwing Split Lose the Makerfield Byelection for Reform?

Nigel Farage is fighting with Rupert Lowe and Elon Musk over claims of vote-splitting which could lose Reform UK the Makerfield byelection.

The bitter feud between the Reform leader and the world’s richest man reignited after Musk posted on social media backing Restore Britain – a party even further to the right led by Lowe. It comes as polling suggests that Restore could win enough of the rightwing vote in Makerfield to rob Farage’s party of the top spot.

Speaking to the Telegraph on Sunday, Farage said Labour candidate Andy Burnham would be “delighted” by Musk’s recent posts.

He said: “Elon Musk has decided he will try to split the right of British politics as best he can. This is supporting a party that’s one man with a social media account. Quite what he’s trying to achieve, I have no idea.”

Musk has signalled his backing of Restore on his social media platform X recently. On Sunday, Musk shared a video of Reform politician Robert Jenrick, via an account that supports Restore. Musk’s post said simply “Restore Britain”. He also posted a video of party leader Lowe and another of canvassers for the party.

Lowe responded to Farage’s statement on X saying: “Farage can arrogantly insult me over and over, but he has never been more wrong. Restore Britain is a team.”

Massively overstating the size and significance of his party, Lowe continued: “This is a movement of millions of British patriots unlike anything that has ever been seen before. This party isn’t about me, it never has been. It is about our members, our people, our home. Not me. Them. That is something he will never understand, and ultimately it’s why he will lose.”

In a separate video Lowe called the claims of vote splitting a “recidivist agenda” and likened the Makerfield byelection to the Battle of Britain. He has claimed Restore has its own polling which shows “the most incredible support” in Makerfield.

The Greater Manchester constituency has become the epicentre of British politics as the upcoming byelection could decide the future leadership of the country. In May, Labour MP Josh Simons stepped down to allow Burnham to run and become an MP, which would enable him to challenge for the leadership of the Labour party and replace Keir Starmer as prime minister.

The potential split of the rightwing vote could help Burnham in his journey towards Downing Street. An early poll for the byelection puts Burnham in the lead with 43 points, while Reform’s Robert Kenyon is in second place with 40. Restore’s Rebecca Shepherd is in third place with seven points – enough to ensure Burnham is in the lead.

Lowe has previously been a thorn in the side of Reform’s electoral prospects. In May’s local elections, Great Yarmouth First – a local party backed by Lowe – won all nine of the seats it stood for, denying Reform control of Norfolk county council.

Reform-supporting politicians and media outriders are seething. Failed Reform candidate Matt Goodwin accused Lowe of “helping the left” and said, “You allowed your own vendetta against Nigel Farage to cloud your judgement.” GB News presenter Darren Grimes asked: “Is Rupert Lowe the greatest asset to the uniparty?”

The war-of-words is just the latest installment of a messy split on the far right.

Restore was formed in June 2025 after a spectacular falling out between Farage and Lowe, a former Reform MP.

Earlier that year, Lowe had given an interview in which he called Reform a “protest party led by the Messiah”. The following day, he was suspended from the party over alleged bullying within his parliamentary office. Lowe said the claims were false and “designed to maliciously smear my name and ruin my reputation after I dared to bruise Farage’s ego”. Police seized Lowe’s legal firearms from his house, before the Crown Prosecution Service announced that there was insufficient evidence to convict Lowe over the allegations. The affair has been viewed by some on the far right as a case of so-called “cancel culture”.

Restore has differentiated itself from Reform with even harsher rhetoric on migration, pledging to “establish modular, tent-based holding facilities for so-called ‘asylum seekers’”. In August 2025, Lowe mistook a charity rowing team off the coast for illegal migrants, posting on Instagram: “Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW. Authorities alerted, and I am urgently chasing. If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure these individuals are deported.” The party has gained support from some of the most extreme influencers on Britain’s online far right.

It remains to be seen whether Restore will ultimately damage Reform by splitting the far right vote, or boost Farage’s party by making it seem like a more respectable and less extreme option.

Both parties have attracted the backing of the super rich. In 2024, there were rumours that Musk would give Reform a massive donation. But just weeks after the reports emerged, the space-obsessed billionaire turned on Farage after the Reform leader distanced himself from Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon). Musk called for a new leader for Reform, saying Farage “doesn’t have what it takes”.

In an interview with the Sun in May this year, Farage claimed Musk offered him money in exchange for saying “certain things”. Musk hit back on X, saying: “Farage is lying”.

Farage is currently being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner for his failure to declare a £5m donation from Thai-based crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.

Restore candidate Shepherd appears to have gained the support of Dragon’s Den tycoon Duncan Bannatyne. The entrepreneur posted on X that he had withdrawn his backing for Burnham over the Labour candidate’s support for trans rights. He then said that Shepherd “might be a better candidate”.