Within days of relaunching as a political party, Restore Britain gained its first councillors. Almost all had been Reform UK councillors.
The first was Maria Bowtell of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, who joined on 15 February 2026. She had previously been with Reform UK and was sitting as an independent.
Kent County Council
On 17 February 2026, eight councillors joined the party, according to Wikipedia. Seven of them sit on Kent County Council. KentOnline named them as:
- Isabella Kemp (Sheppey)
- Maxine Fothergill (Sevenoaks Rural North)
- Brian Black (Maidstone Rural South)
- Paul Thomas (Maidstone South)
- Oliver Bradshaw (Maidstone Central)
- Robert Ford (Maidstone Rural West)
- Dean Burns
All seven were former Reform UK councillors. KentOnline reported that six of them had already been expelled from Reform before they joined Restore Britain.
The move made Restore Britain the third-largest group on the 81-member council. KentOnline gave the group sizes afterwards as Reform UK 47, Liberal Democrats 12, Restore Britain 7, Conservatives 5 and Labour 2.
"I am proud to be representing Restore Britain on KCC. Reform UK has failed in its promises to the Kent residents," Oliver Bradshaw said.
In the days that followed
This article was first published on 17 February. More councillors joined over the next three days:
- North Northamptonshire, 18 February: Jack Goncalvez (Rushden Lakes) and Darren Rance (Brickhill and Queensway) left Reform for Restore Britain. Two days later, Rance left Restore Britain and said he hoped to rejoin Reform.
- Leicestershire, 19 February: Charles Whitford, county councillor for Markfield, Desford and Thornton, left Reform UK for Restore Britain. He cited clashes with Reform's county council leader.
- Warwickshire, by 20 February: Scott Cameron (Coleshill South and Arley) and Luke Cooper (Studley) joined. Reform UK removed the whip from both and expelled them.
A Reform spokesperson said Whitford had "betrayed his electors and the mandate he was given to become affiliated with a movement that is not even registered with the Electoral Commission". Restore Britain was registered a month later, on 20 March 2026.
What it means
The new councillors gave Restore Britain a presence in local government before it had fought an election under its own name. They also brought experience of council work and campaigning.
Later defections: Plymouth and Gloucestershire
On 4 September 2026, two Plymouth City councillors, Mark Hadfield (St Budeaux) and Andrew Crumplin (Moor View), moved from Reform UK.
On 29 September, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Michael Rees, councillor for Cam Valley, had left Reform UK for Restore Britain, becoming its first representative on Gloucestershire County Council. Rees attributed the move to dissatisfaction with Reform's leadership and said Restore Britain better represented his values. Reform UK criticised his decision and said he had betrayed residents who elected him for Reform in 2025. The county council's current directory (opens in a new tab) lists him as Restore Britain.
Separately, Great Yarmouth's deputy mayor James Bensly left the Conservatives for Great Yarmouth First and Restore Britain in late September. His borough council record lists Great Yarmouth First from 26 September; see our East Anglia report.
Councillors can hold more than one council seat, and Great Yarmouth First is registered separately. Our party guide explains the distinction between seats, people and the local partner party. These defections do not represent new seats won at an election; for the party's latest ballot results, see the 1 October by-elections.
The party also has a local partner, Great Yarmouth First, which won all 10 seats it contested in May 2026 (our report). See the timeline for every milestone.
Sources
- KentOnline: Kent councillors join Restore Britain (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia: Restore Britain (opens in a new tab)
- NN Journal: two Northants Reform UK councillors join Restore Britain, 18 February 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Searchlight: councillor leaves Restore Britain after two days, 20 February 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Leicester News: Reform councillor defects to Restore Britain, 20 February 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Leamington Observer: two Warwickshire Reform UK councillors defect to Restore Britain, 20 February 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Electoral Commission: registration PP18382 (opens in a new tab)
- Plymouth Post: two Plymouth councillors join Restore Britain (opens in a new tab)
- Gloucester News Centre: Michael Rees defects, Local Democracy Reporting Service, 29 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Gloucestershire County Council: councillor directory, checked 5 October 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Great Yarmouth Borough Council: James Bensly's councillor record (opens in a new tab)