𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A man who has signalled support for Restore Britain has claimed Jews are foreigners and he is not bothered if people call him a racist. The party led by Rupert Lowe refused to condemn comments made by Steve Laws, who wants to see immigrants and non-white citizens deported from Britain.

Mr Laws, in February, urged his followers on X to “get in line” and help Restore Britain’s leader to “complete the first few stages” of remigration. The far-right activist posted on X yesterday (May 26) that “remigration is all that matters”. In an interview on Andrew Gold’s Heretics podcast, Mr Laws was asked if he is a racist, to which he replied: “If you want to call me a racist, it really doesn’t bother me in the slightest. My priority is putting my people first. If that makes me racist, then so be it.”

In a discussion about Jews in the UK, Mr Laws tells the podcast host, who is Jewish: “You are a foreign ethnic group.”

He went on to suggest Jewish people do not belong in this country, adding: “Total remigration. Everyone has to go.” Mr Laws also suggested Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was “misunderstood” and cast doubt on how many people were killed in the Holocaust.

In an X post on Sunday (May 24), he accused Reform UK of abandoning its base, and Restore was now holding them to account.

Commenting on Mr Lowe’s party fielding a candidate in the Makerfield by-election, he added: “I was skeptical (sic) about Restore standing at first but after seeing all these Reform types basically demanding our vote, and crying when we refuse, I’m more of the attitude that they can get f*****. They don’t deserve our support.

“We vote for what we believe in. Not what the establishment tells us too.”

His comments came amid a row between Mr Lowe and his former colleagues at Reform UK after Restore Britain announced it would stand in the Makerfield by-election, where Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, is standing for Labour.

A spokesman for Restore Britain told the Mail: “What Steve Laws says is up to Steve Laws, it has absolutely nothing to do with us.”

Asked by the same publication about other far-right activists backing Restore Britain, the spokesman said: “We have been very clear. We are not going to police our membership. The membership endorses our position, not the reverse, obviously.”

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism urged Restore Britain to “set itself apart and speak out” at a time when some fringe parties are failing to confirm their positions on antisemitism and extremism.

He added Jews are not “foreign” and asked which does Restore Britain want to be, a “provocative protest group” or “serious political party”.

Meanwhile, a split appears to have opened in Reform UK, with two senior members of the outfit disagreeing on deportation policy.

Robert Jenrick said in an interview on Sunday that a foreign person would not face deportation just for living in social housing, but could if they were not working enough.

But in a social media post on Tuesday, Zia Yusuf, the party’s home affairs spokesman, openly challenged Mr Jenrick’s stance, saying it was “not Reform policy”.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Jenrick said someone born overseas would “not exclusively” be deported for living in social housing.

“If they fail to meet our criteria because they are not in work, or they’re not working as many hours, not earning enough money, then they won’t be able to renew their work visa because (indefinite leave to remain) won’t exist and they will be asked to leave,” he said.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Mr Yusuf said: “Robert’s answer is not Reform policy. As the person responsible for our deportation plan I want ensure people know where we stand: If a foreign national lives in social housing at taxpayer expense, they automatically fail our economic test and will be deported.”

In April, Reform vowed to review all successful asylum claims over the past five years, and deport anyone found to have entered illegally or overstayed their visa, should the party get into power.

The party estimated 400,000 people will be in scope of the review.

Makerfield’s by-election will be held on June 18. The candidates are:

Dan Clarke – Libertarian Party

Alan ‘Howlin’ Laud Hope – The Official Monster Raving Loony Party

Robert Kenyon – Reform UK

Rebecca Shepherd – Restore Britain

Michael Winstanley – Conservatives