Restore Britain has around 130,000 paying members, according to a report in The Times on 16 June 2026. The figure appeared in coverage by Patrick Maguire of the party's campaign in the Makerfield by-election, which takes place on 18 June.
It is the most recent membership figure for the party from an independent publication. The earlier milestones below were announced by the party itself.
From launch to 130,000
Rupert Lowe announced on 13 February 2026 that Restore Britain was becoming a national political party. The membership milestones since then:
- 15 February 2026: Lowe posted on X that the party had "just hit 50,000 members". This is a party claim.
- 18 February 2026: Lowe said membership had risen to 70,000, according to Wikipedia. This is a party claim.
- 20 February 2026: Lowe posted that the party had hit 80,000 members "earlier today". This is a party claim.
- 28 February 2026: Lowe posted: "Restore Britain has 100,000 members." This is a party claim.
- 5 June 2026: Wikipedia records that the party had "more than 96,000 members".
- 16 June 2026: The Times reported about 130,000 paying members.
The figures do not form a neat line. The party's own 100,000 claim in February is higher than the 96,000 figure recorded for early June, and none of these numbers has been independently audited. Different figures may also count different things, such as sign-ups or paid-up members. The Times figure refers specifically to paying members.
What a member pays
Standard membership costs £20 a year, paid through the party's official join page (opens in a new tab). The Cromwell Club, a tier for major donors, asks for an annual donation of £2,500. It includes an annual dinner in London and access to events.
The movement's 2025 launch FAQ said members would have "the opportunity to ratify the policy platform", with every policy put to a member vote. There are step-by-step instructions on our join page.
How 130,000 compares
Party membership figures come from different sources and dates, and they are not always comparable. The latest figures listed on Wikipedia's page on UK party membership, as accessed in September 2026, are:
- Reform UK: 268,000 (The Times, 12 December 2025)
- Labour: 264,754 (LabourList, 31 December 2025)
- Green Party of England and Wales: more than 230,000 (The Guardian, 7 May 2026)
- Restore Britain: 130,000 (The Times, 16 June 2026)
- Conservatives: 123,000 (The Telegraph, July 2025)
- Liberal Democrats: 60,000 (BBC News, 9 October 2025)
- SNP: 56,011 (BBC News, June 2025)
- Plaid Cymru: about 10,000 (Electoral Commission, 2024)
Among the parties on that list, Restore Britain ranks fourth. It is ahead of the Conservatives, though the Conservative figure is almost a year older. Reform UK, Labour and the Greens are all larger.
Members and votes
Membership is not the same as electoral support. When The Times reported the 130,000 figure, YouGov's April voting-intention poll had put the party on 4%. The party has one MP, Rupert Lowe, and has yet to contest a parliamentary election under its own name.
A large paying membership does give a new party two things it would otherwise lack: subscription income and volunteers. The Times report itself described some members spending a weekend delivering leaflets during the by-election campaign.
For more on the party's growth, see the timeline and our guide, What is Restore Britain?.
Update (September 2026): In the Makerfield by-election on 18 June, Restore Britain's Rebecca Shepherd won 3,111 votes (6.8%) and finished third of 14. See our by-election explainer. No newer independently reported membership figure had been published when we last checked.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Political party affiliation in the United Kingdom (citing The Times, 16 June 2026, and other parties' figures) (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia: Restore Britain (opens in a new tab)
- Rupert Lowe on X: 50,000 members (opens in a new tab)
- Rupert Lowe on X: 80,000 members (opens in a new tab)
- Rupert Lowe on X: 100,000 members (opens in a new tab)
- Restore Britain: Join us (opens in a new tab)
- Restore Britain: Cromwell Club (opens in a new tab)
- Restore Britain launch FAQ, 30 June 2025 (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- YouGov voting intention, 12–13 April 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia: 2026 Makerfield by-election (opens in a new tab)