Political turbulence is once again roiling Kent County Council, as seven former Reform UK councillors have defected to join a new party, Restore Britain, founded by Rupert Lowe. The move, announced on February 17, 2026, marks a significant shakeup in local politics and could threaten Reform UK's once-dominant control of the council.
Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth and a former Reform UK figure, launched Restore Britain just days earlier after a dramatic and public split from his previous party. According to BBC News, Lowe had initially set up Restore Britain as a political movement following his suspension from Reform UK, but it is now poised to function as an umbrella political party. The seven councillors joining him are Maxine Fothergill (Sevenoaks rural north), Robert Ford (Maidstone rural west), Paul Thomas (Maidstone south), Dean Burns, Isabella Kemp (Sheppey), Brian Black (Maidstone rural south), and Oliver Bradshaw (Maidstone central). Six of these councillors had been expelled from Reform UK over the past year, while Dean Burns had left his deputy cabinet role at the end of 2025.
Announcing the new members on social media, Lowe wrote, "I am delighted to announce that seven Kent County Councillors have today joined Restore Britain, and they will form an official Restore Britain group on the council. This is a very important day for our party. There will be many more to come." The announcement was met with mixed reactions. A Reform UK source, quoted by BBC News, dismissed the defectors, saying, "Restore are welcome to our dregs. Let's not forget that six of these councillors were expelled. If this is Restore's bar for councillors then it must be very low indeed."
The formation of the Restore Britain group instantly made it the third largest faction on Kent County Council, holding seven seats—two more than the Conservatives and five more than Labour. As KentOnline reported, the council now comprises 81 councillors, with Reform UK leading with 47, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 12. Restore Britain, with its seven seats, is already eyeing a larger role and hoping to attract more dissatisfied members. Lowe has hinted that further defections could be imminent, suggesting a period of continued instability for Reform UK.
Restore Britain's emergence comes at a time of mounting internal strife within Reform UK. The party won a landslide victory in the May 2025 local elections, securing 57 of the 81 council seats and nearly wiping out the Conservative presence. However, since then, the party has been beset by high-profile expulsions and resignations. According to The Independent, many of the defectors had been sitting as independents or as part of breakaway groups following their expulsion from Reform UK. The council leader of the opposition, Liberal Democrat Antony Hook, commented, "It is hard to keep track of the ever-changing groups leaving Reform. Lib Dems will continue to work hard for local people and argue for council policies that benefit all the people who live in our wonderful county."
The reasons for the expulsions are varied and, in some cases, controversial. Isabella Kemp was expelled in November 2025 for allegedly leaking confidential information related to a video published by The Guardian that showed Reform UK’s council leader Linden Kemkaran swearing and shouting at her members. Kemp has denied any involvement, stating, "I was expecting it so there's not much to say, really. When I offered to hand in my devices to the party for forensic examination and they refused, I knew there was never going to be a proper investigation." Maxine Fothergill was expelled for failing to disclose a serious matter during her vetting process—a reference to a 2017 defamation case that ended in a public apology and damages. Robert Ford was suspended in October 2025 amid allegations of misconduct from multiple women, which he has denied.
Meanwhile, Brian Black, Paul Thomas, and Oliver Bradshaw were expelled in October 2025 for what the party described as "a pattern of dishonest and deceptive behaviour." The cumulative effect of these departures has been to erode Reform UK's majority in the council. As London Economic observed, "Reform’s loss of 10 councillors has made their majority anything but comfortable. If they lose just six more seats – which could happen by summer if councillors continue to leave at the current rate – the party will lose overall control of the council."
Rupert Lowe’s own departure from Reform UK followed accusations that he had threatened the party chairman, Zia Yusuf, with physical violence. However, the Crown Prosecution Service later stated there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction. Lowe, undeterred, has positioned Restore Britain as a party with a strong right-wing stance and an emphasis on independence of mind. According to BBC News's Andrew Sinclair, Lowe believes "that in a crowded marketplace there is room for another party, on the right, which will pride itself on its independence of mind."
Restore Britain has wasted no time in publishing a raft of policy proposals. Among them are plans to "restore the British pub" by reforming business rates and reducing VAT, abolishing Britain’s asylum system through a proposed "Great Clarification Act," and establishing a multi-agency unit to investigate suspicious businesses—particularly those described as "cash-heavy, clone-like chains of barbers, vape shops and dessert cafes." On February 18, Lowe announced the party’s new deportation policy, which he claimed details "exactly how we can remove millions of illegal migrants." Notably, Lowe has pledged that Restore Britain councillors will not be subject to a national whip on local issues, aiming to foster greater independence among its members.
Not everyone is enthusiastic about Restore Britain’s trajectory. Bill Barrett, an ex-Reform UK councillor and former leader of the Independent Reformers Group, commented that the new party "is too right wing for me." He added, "I sit in the centre ground of British politics where broad churches are made and that is where I will remain." The criticism highlights the ideological rifts that have plagued Reform UK and now threaten to spill over into its splinter groups.
Despite the turmoil, Reform UK continues to lead national opinion polls. According to Press Association analysis cited by KentOnline, Reform has topped national polls more than 170 times since May 2025. The latest averages, for the week ending February 15, 2026, place Reform at 29%, with Labour and the Conservatives tied at 19%, the Greens at 15%, and the Liberal Democrats at 13%. However, as recent events in Kent show, poll numbers can mask deeper organizational challenges.
The coming months will be critical for both Reform UK and Restore Britain. With the council’s balance of power now more precarious than ever, the prospect of further defections looms large. For Kent’s voters, the shifting alliances and public disputes offer a front-row seat to the messy, unpredictable reality of local politics in 2026.