Restore Britain hands Labour victory by two votes as Rupert Lowe accused of doing deal with Tories

Restore Britain has been accused of stopping Nigel Farage from claiming a triple by-election victory after Reform UK lost by just two votes to Labour in Dudley.

Reform UK, which made sweeping gains in Dudley in May, was forced to defend the ward of St James's after Ivor Robinson stood down for personal reasons.

Following a bounce in the polls for Andy Burnham, Labour's support surged by 16.2 per cent, taking the party to 38 per cent.

An 11 per cent drop for Reform UK left Mr Farage's outfit just two votes short of holding on.

Meanwhile, Restore Britain was hoping to put up a fight in Dudley after receiving a defection boost from ex-Reform UK councillor Andrew Southwall.

Rupert Lowe's splinter party finished in a distant fourth place, narrowly holding onto its deposit.

However, Restore Britain's 6.9 per cent support, which equates to 159 ballots, ultimately handed Labour the narrowest of victories.

The result came just days after Mr Farage issued a direct message to Restore Britain supporters.

Speaking to GB News, the Clacton MP said: "The key to our success will be those who have been tempted by thinking Restore might be the future, they need to understand that Restore, at most, will be competitive in one seat, and we will be competitive in hundreds.

"If those Restore supporters online see that we are the only vehicle, genuinely on the centre-right, that can beat the Labour Party and come back to us, then our polling will start to look very different, very quickly."

Following the Dudley declaration, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice issued a warning.

"Vote Restore, get Labour," the Boston & Skegness MP said.

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Reform UK figures have also suggested Mr Lowe is doing a deal with the Tories after Restore Britain failed to field candidates in two seats held by the Conservatives.

Ben Bradley, a former Tory MP who joined Reform to lead its local government wing, said: "The only by-elections that Restore didn't stand in yesterday were the two Tory-held ones."

Durham County Council leader Andrew Husband added: "Well done Rupert, I see a pattern where ResTory stand when it is Reform defending a seat but making a habit of not standing when the Tories are defending a seat."

However, Mr Lowe said: "Strong progress across England, but I'm particularly encouraged by the Scots.

"To turn up in a unfavourable seat for us and hit seven per cent straight off the bat, only a couple of dozen votes short of Reform? Incredible.

"All important preparation for next May's elections - there will be more news from Restore Britain on this very soon."

Dover Beck - Newark & Sherwood

The Conservatives retained the Dover Beck ward on Newark & Sherwood District Council, with Scott Carlton winning 409 votes in Thursday’s by-election.

Mr Carlton finished 81 votes ahead of Reform UK’s John Hart, who secured 328 votes.

Labour came third with 148 votes, followed by the Liberal Democrats on 73 and the Greens on 22.

The by-election was triggered by the death of Conservative councillor Roger Jackson, who died in July after battling cancer.

Mr Carlton, who lost his county council seat to Reform in 2025, said he was “deeply humbled” by his election and pledged to build on Cllr Jackson’s legacy.

Restore Britain failed to field a candidate.

Southwell - Nottinghamshire

The Conservatives retained the Southwell division on Nottinghamshire County Council, with Penny Rainbow winning 2,019 votes in Thursday’s by-election.

Ms Rainbow secured a majority of 860 over Reform UK’s Edward Stubbs, who finished second with 1,159 votes.

Labour came third with 646 votes, ahead of the Liberal Democrats on 545 and the Greens on 88.

The by-election was triggered by the death of Conservative councillor Roger Jackson in July, with Ms Rainbow saying she wanted to finish his term and continue his work.

Cllr Jackson’s widow, Jilly, described the result as a “Roger Jackson victory”, saying it was emotional because “everybody loved him” and that the result would continue his legacy.

Restore Britain again opted against fielding a candidate.

Beechwood & Heath - Halton

Reform UK also managed to make a surprise gain in a key ward in Halton despite Restore Britain fielding a candidate in the Cheshire council area.

The Liberal Democrats were defending the ward just months after a tough set of results in the region at the 2026 Local Elections.

Labour's surge since Sir Keir Starmer's departure appeared to help Reform UK, with the Liberal Democrats dropping by 18.3 per cent to just 26.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, Reform UK secured 35.3 per cent and Labour languished in third on 25.2 per cent.

Restore Britain, which retained its deposit on 6.3 per cent, managed to beat the Tories.

Worksop East - Bassetlaw

However, a bounce in support for Labour was far from visible in the Nottinghamshire district council area of Bassetlaw.

Despite once being a Labour stronghold, Reform UK stormed to victory after securing 45.9 per cent of the vote.

Home Office Minister Jo White, whose husband Lord Mann was once the local MP, previously represented the ward at the district council.

Labour's support plunged by 34.4 per cent, leaving the party on just 37.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, Restore Britain edged out the Tories for third place yet again, with the parties receiving seven per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively.

Mid Argyll - Argyll & Bute

SNP candidate Andy Buntin won the Mid Argyll by-election with 46.1 per cent of first-preference votes, gaining the seat from an Independent and increasing the party’s vote share by around 15 percentage points since 2022.

The result marked a disappointing first Scottish electoral outing for Restore Britain, with Rupert Lowe’s party finishing fifth on seven per cent, behind Reform UK, which secured 8.5 per cent.

The two parties won just 275 votes between them, compared with the SNP’s 820, finishing behind both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat candidate Douglas Macdonald came second with 17.4 per cent, while Conservative Colvin Osborn finished third with 12.9 per cent.

The result also saw pro-independence parties secure a combined 51.4 per cent of first-preference votes, with turnout standing at 29.3 per cent.