The problems created have been not just economic, but more seriously have impacted our cultural values and national identity. The Conservatives have allowed huge levels of immigration from around the globe that facilitates the undermining of social cohesion, the deterioration of public services and renders housing unaffordable for those of average means. They have pursued net zero policies which have resulted in the highest energy costs in the world. They have retained DEI policies whose only purpose is to favour minorities at the expense of the majority, particularly white males. They have undermined traditional values by introducing same sex marriage, allowed LGBT and black ‘history’ indoctrination in schools, and facilitated exaggerated one-sided attacks on our cultural history particularly on the issues of slavery and colonialism.
As a consequence of repeated betrayal by the Conservatives, Reform UK was created by Nigel Farage and others with the aim of pursuing more robust right-wing policies untainted by surrender to liberal orthodoxies. In the 2024 general election Reform achieved more votes than the Liberal Democrats but won only a handful of seats as their support was spread out fairly evenly across the country. Due to the collapse in support for the Labour government under Kier Starmer they have topped the opinion polls for over a year, although that has dipped slightly in recent months. Reform have attracted a number of high-profile defectors from the Conservatives, not all of whom have been greeted with unalloyed enthusiasm by activists. In the other direction the outspoken MP Rupert Lowe was expelled from the party after falling out with the leadership. He has now set up his own political party Restore Britain. So, it is worth examining which of these two parties would most effectively implement a genuinely right-wing policy agenda.
The main concern of both parties, and also of right leaning voters, is immigration. Reform appear to focus mainly on the problem of illegal immigration. They pledge ‘to stop the boats by immediately leaving the ECHR, restoring full control of our borders, intercepting and detaining all illegal arrivals, and deporting them’. They would also end free housing, financial benefits and any incentives that facilitate illegal immigration. They would commence a five-year programme to identify, detain and deport illegal immigrants, and introduce ‘mass deportation of illegal immigration’ legislation to end the right of asylum for all illegals. So, their policy on illegal immigration is very tough, one that should have been introduced by the Conservatives years ago.
With regard to legal immigration Reform are committed to end ‘the era of cheap low-skilled foreign labour’. They will achieve this by ‘introducing a 5-year renewable visa for migrants with higher salary thresholds, mandatory fluency in English, and stricter good character requirements’. There will be no recourse to benefits for foreign nationals. Shortage visas will be issued in limited and capped numbers only when there are clear and acute shortages in national-critical roles’. They will scrap indefinite leave to remain and rescind existing awards. This is clearly an improvement on recent years but there is no indication of the likely numbers that will still be permitted to enter Britain, nor are there any proposals to encourage the outflow of those from immigrant communities who are unable or unwilling to assimilate into traditional British culture and values.
Restore’s policy on illegal immigration is similar to that of Reform and includes a commitment to remove all illegal migrants from Britain, claiming that ‘this is necessary for public safety and national security’. On legal immigration they will introduce a ‘red list’ of countries where nationals will face stricter and higher barriers to entry. They promise to abolish the asylum system in its entirety regarding it as no longer fit for purpose, and to introduce various further measures including deporting foreign criminals and revoking dual citizenship where it is in the British interest. They recognise that ‘mass migration has been a disaster for Britain and promise to ‘reverse this process and deport them’. However, no explanation is provided how the latter will be achieved. Despite this Restore’s policy on legal immigrants appears to be more restrictive and detailed than that of Reform.
Another subject where Reform have taken a tougher approach than Conservative governments is climate change. They promise to scrap net zero targets which are described as a ‘bad ideological policy’ that has resulted in Britain having ‘among the highest energy costs in the world’. This is a most welcome commitment which is long overdue. Restore have also promised to repeal net zero goals and to abolish the Climate Change Act 1998. They rightly point out that ‘luxury beliefs around net zero’ have for too long been prioritized over the country’s ‘critical energy needs’. In conclusion both parties have made a welcome commitment to addressing climate change alarmism and the exorbitant energy costs caused by net zero targets.
On the question of sovereignty Reform ‘will ensure that no foreign court, treaty or institution overrides the will of the Brish people or authority of parliament’. Again. a long overdue policy, on a matter that previous Conservative governments were very remiss in addressing. Restore correctly point out that the British political establishment have been more interested in ‘serving the world, international institutions, or foreign states than pursuing our own national interest’. They will ensure that ‘the interests of the British people would forever be our solemn priority’. So, it is encouraging that both parties are serious about preserving national sovereignty.
With regard to criminal behaviour both parties propose numerous tough measures to address this problem which has blighted the lives of many citizens. One policy that both are agreed on is to introduce the widespread use of stop and search to reduce knife crime. It is to be hoped that this action targets those who most fit the profile of offenders most likely to carry knives, rather than stopping the wider public at random.
Under the Conservatives the welfare bill increased enormously with millions of people of working age trapped in a life of benefits. Both Reform and Restore are committed to ensuring that work should be rewarded and that benefits should be limited to the most vulnerable and needy.
Conservative governments have remained largely silent when faced with the destructive campaign of supposedly ‘progressive’ radicals, intent on attacking, denigrating and undermining British culture, traditions and history. Reform have stated that they will ‘defend free speech, uphold British traditions, ban DEI quotas and reject the policies of guilt’. They will end the shame inducing indoctrination of schoolchildren and promote pride in British culture and history. Restore would honour our religious historical and moral tradition and uphold Britain’s ‘literature, art, culture architecture and institutions’ to ensure a better understanding of our national story. It is reassuring that both parties are committed to restore national pride in our culture and history and to end the guilt-ridden self-abasement towards our past.
In conclusion both Reform and Restore are proposing a raft of much needed policies on critically important national issues which the Conservatives neglected to address when in government. The single apparent policy difference between Restore and Reform is that only the latter recognise the need to address the problem of unassimilated large scale ethnic ghettos that has resulted in British residents being supplanted from their neighbourhoods and communities in many towns and cities. Given the wide consensus on other issues, it makes no sense for the two parties to compete against one another. It would be in the best interests of both to merge and form a single party. If this is not possible an electoral pact should be made in which candidates agree not to stand against one another.
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