Former Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has dismissed as 'ludicrous' suggestions that the Restore party will split the right-wing vote in the upcoming Makerfield by-election, potentially handing the seat to Labour. Leaked polling had indicated that the insurgent party, created by MP Rupert Lowe after his acrimonious split from Reform, could see Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham win, paving the way for him to challenge Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Speaking to Metro, Bridgen, who joined Restore when it officially became a political party in March, emphasised that Restore is not there to 'prop up' Reform. 'Restore is a political party, it's there to stand in elections. It's not there to prop up Nigel Farage and Reform. A lot of people do not like Nigel Farage. They do not trust him, he is not trustworthy,' he said.
Bridgen argued that assuming all Restore voters would otherwise vote for Reform is 'ludicrous'. 'What we found is that a lot of people voting for Restore wouldn't normally vote. Around 48% of Makerfield's electorate didn't vote last time. So you can win an election in this country by getting people who've given up on politics to go and vote,' he explained.
Current polling suggests Restore candidate Rebecca Shepherd enjoys backing in the constituency larger than Burnham's lead over Reform's Robert Kenyon. A More in Common survey for the Sunday Times puts Restore on 8%, with Burnham on 45% and Kenyon on 40%. An Opinium poll for the Independent has Burnham on 46% and Kenyon on 41%, while Shepherd is on 7%.
The party has the support of tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk, who publicly backed Restore last month. His intervention prompted Farage to warn that Burnham would be 'delighted' with his outburst. Farage told the Telegraph: '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.'
Bridgen rubbished this, stating that much of Restore's support comes from 'disillusioned non-voters'. 'The people that I am seeing voting for Restore, a lot of them have already given up on politics, including a lot of activists. They are not from Reform or the Labour Party. They are people who have given up on politics and realise we are in a desperate situation,' he said.
He later conceded that some support had come from 'disillusioned' Labour and Reform voters but insisted this would not affect the result. 'I think people should vote for the party they want rather than the least worst option. I don't think Restore running will make any difference,' he added.
When asked why he joined Restore over Reform, Bridgen said he had a meeting with the Reform leader in January 2023. 'I was thrown out of the Conservative Party for asking questions about the safety and effectiveness of Covid vaccines and Reform have no desire to talk about them either. Nigel Farage told me that he wasn't going to be speaking about Covid vaccines and if I knew what was good for me I wouldn't either. He said to me "the problem with you, Andrew, is that you are always looking for a fight". I told him "that is not true but if there is a fight going, I am not going to shy away from it",' he explained.
Bridgen also criticised the current Labour government's £660m deal with France to stop migrants crossing the English Channel, claiming it is not working.
