Is Rupert Lowe Splitting The British Right?

I have got around to watching the David Starkey-Rupert Lowe interview about the formation of the Restore Britain Party, and it’s a very interesting one.

It’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone dominate a discussion with Starkey, getting to say more than he does. It’s also the first time I’ve ever seen Starkey showing a willingness to let this happen, a respect for who he is talking to that concedes points.

That alone speaks very much in Lowe’s favour. It takes an extremely strong personality to gain an equal or even dominant footing with Starkey (I’m not counting the screeching that the Left would use to drown others out).

Starkey clearly respects Lowe, and Starkey doesn’t respect anyone who is a fool. He’s used to taking the patriarch dispensing wisdom role, and not the respectful advisor role.

Both of them were accurate in their comments, as I expected. Starkey’s concern is splitting the vote and delivering another leftist administration by doing so. Lowe didn’t answer that point very effectively and is clearly powered by an impatient frustration now with the entire political Establishment including Farage and Reform. It’s one many of us share, but it doesn’t answer that split vote problem and Starkey’s point that the Left vote much more tactically than us.

One of the surprising things is that both respect Badenoch. Lowe in particular distinguished her from the Boris era Tories which was interesting. But this does coincide with my belief that there is some genuine element to Tory change and that Badenoch might be more rightwing than Farage is.

Lowe thinks he can overtake Reform enough and have enough of the Right to take government. He is correct on the level of frustration and anger in the country, and he is correct on everything that is wrong in the country.

But I think Starkey is right on what a big split in the vote of the Right will deliver. I’d far rather the Right unites behind Lowe than Farage, but is it likely?

Some have said this was a bad interview for Lowe, but that’s an outright lie. He dominated STARKEY. He did sound angry and personal so far as Farage is concerned, but that’s hardly surprising when Farage tried to get him imprisoned for being stronger on deportations. Together with the fact that Reform are using leftist tactics and calling Restore Nazis, everything shows Lowe as the more real rightwing patriot than the people in Reform.

I’m inclined even more heart-wise towards Restore now. But really I think unless there is a rightwing pact involving ALL of those claiming to be on the Right, which is very unlikely, we are going to get more of the Left.

Their splits don’t hurt their share of seats as much as ours do.