Rupert lowe

Thursday

John O’Neill

Fact check: Rupert Lowe on Joe Rogan

The American right has developed a morbid fascination with Britain over the past two years, particularly after Elon Musk began tweeting about grooming gangs. Some European influencers have found it lucrative to present Britain and parts of the continent as having "fallen," posting videos of crimes by immigrants and appearing on American podcast networks as weary ambassadors from broken countries to warn: "It could happen here." Yesterday The Joe Rogan Experience podcast released a two-hour interview with Rupert Lowe, leader of Britain's Restore party. Was Lowe there merely to create content – or is Restore a serious political party? Some of his statements suggest it’s the former rather than the latter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

rupert lowe

Wednesday

Clair Holden

Do I vibe with Rupert Lowe?

From our UK edition

As seen in the New World What are the vibes of Rupert Lowe? That’s the question on my mind as I arrive at his parliamentary office, and find the door ajar. The MP for Great Yarmouth is sitting on a quilted armchair, stock still and staring straight ahead. ‘Um? Hi? Rupert? It’s Claire Holden – you said to pop by at 1?’ Rupert jolts to life. ‘Thank you so much for coming, sit down. No stand up. Actually you should sit yourself down – never could do business with a man I’m not looking at eye to eye.’ ‘Like I always say, a bird in the hand is worth a premium fountain pen’ I gingerly take my seat, notes app ready. ‘So, Rupert. Clearly Andy Burnham will have to deal with the bond markets. And it seems like they have a lot of control over our lives now.

Friday

Tim Shipman

‘I identify with Daenerys Targaryen before she went mad’: an interview with Kemi Badenoch

There was a moment backstage, before I interviewed Kemi Badenoch for a Spectator event, when I felt like John Sergeant with Margaret Thatcher bearing down on him as he pronounced her leadership in difficulty. I suggested to Badenoch that she was a rare example of a politician I had changed my mind about. “You mean you were very negative before?” she said, fixing me with the full alpha female glare. I muttered something placatory, but the truth is that a year ago I thought she was rubbish – and that was the mainstream view in her own party. She was arrogant, flat-footed, absenting herself from a stage that was being dominated by Nigel Farage, resistant to advice, convinced she was great at PMQs when even Keir Starmer was wiping the floor with her.

kemi badenoch
restore
James Heale

Can Reform see off the threat from Restore?

Nigel Farage has always prided himself on being able to see off any threat from his right flank. But now a new force has emerged in the form of his ex-colleague Rupert Lowe. When the two Reform MPs fell out 15 months ago, friends shared memes of Farage’s past fallen rivals ascending to heaven. “Come and join us, Rupert!” they exhorted. Instead, Lowe fought back, setting up his own party, Restore Britain. In the Makerfield by-election on June 18, one poll puts Restore on 7 percent – enough to stop Reform and hand the seat to Labour’s Andy Burnham. Restore’s strategy is simple: use Farage’s playbook against him. Like Farage, Lowe has put his faith in social media, building up a noisy following that can then be turned into a campaigning force.

Friday

Gawain Towler

Left turn: who should Reform target?

From our UK edition

15 min listen

Gawain Towler, Reform UK board member and their former director of communications, sits down with James Heale to talk about Reform's appeal ahead of the local elections. Gawain argues that Reform needs to broaden its appeal as it won't find the votes to win to its right, but points to their anti-establishment, nationalist and pro-business credentials. While acknowledging that some of the negative stories about a minority of Reform councillors is uncomfortable, he argues that the scrutiny that comes with governing is necessary in order for Reform to prove credibility and competency for national government.

Left turn: who should Reform target?

Friday

Cockburn

Scoop: Farage pulled out of Tucker Carlson interview

Is Britain’s upstart Reform party really as committed to free speech as they would have us believe? Tucker Carlson was meant to converse with leader Nigel Farage on his trip to London last week. But, Cockburn hears, Farage pulled out after the stateside controversy about Carlson’s recent choice to chat with “groyper” leader and bête noire Nick Fuentes. Who knew the leading light of the British right would be so sensitive about “platforming?” Top Farage advisor James Orr, who also serves as an Anglo-whisperer for Vice President J.D. Vance, made excuses on Reform’s behalf. “It’s the donors and consultants, always,” Carlson told Cockburn about the choice to pull out. “If you want to save your country, you have to ignore them.

Friday

Isabel Hardman

Do Reform want to bring back the death penalty?

From our UK edition

10 min listen

Reform MP Rupert Lowe has called for the death penalty to be re-established in the wake of the sentencing of the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana. With the Assisted Dying Bill still making its way through Parliament, it has been decades since the topic of death has been so hotly debated by MPs.  Katy Balls speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman about the political reaction to Rudakubana's sentencing. How popular is the death penalty with both MPs and the public? Should we even be debating the issue? And could Reform officially back its return soon? Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Natasha Feroze.