First Restore Britain councillor in the West

A Gloucestershire councillor has quit Reform UK to join the Restore Britain party.

Michael Rees, who was elected to the county council in May 2025, said he did not like the direction Reform UK had been going in, including accepting an influx of ex-Conservative MPs.

A local spokesperson for Reform UK accused the councillor of "betraying residents who voted for him".

County council leader, Liberal Democrat Lisa Spivey, said the latest defection "adds to a growing pattern of instability" in Reform UK.

Whilst Rees said he expected he would still work with Reform councillors, he questioned why the party took on so many Conservative defectors.

"Many of the former Tory ministers would come over, names like Robert Jenrick, Suella Braverman, and I feel like that direction the party took didn't sit right with me," he said.

Restore Britain is to the political right of Reform UK and was set up after Rupert Lowe was suspended from Nigel Farage's party over alleged threats that he denies.

The new party has been steadily gaining traction, with other councils also seeing defections.

On what Restore Britain would do should they get into power in Gloucestershire, Rees said they would "tear up" the rule book to get things done.

"The amount of legislation, red tape, bureaucracy that's involved in running the councils now, I mean, just for me, it took me three months to cut a hedge back," he said.

The spokesperson for Reform UK said: "Many Reform members volunteered their time, money and effort to get Reform representatives like Michael elected last year.

"For him to turn his back on them in favour of a party that has yet to receive a single vote in our county is staggering."

Rees called the statement "hypocritical" after the many defections to the party.

He also pointed to prominent conservative MPs who had defected, including Jenrick, Braverman and East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger, without fighting a by-election to explain why he would not be triggering one.

"Why should I then be expected to be different and resign myself?" he said.

Restore Britain has strong views on immigration, with their website stating they want to reverse mass migration, abolish the asylum system and use tents, not hotels, for asylum seekers.

Asked whether people born in other countries should be concerned, Rees said if you "come here and work hard", he is not against that.

But added: "Those who were born here, those who have been here for generations, I think they should be given sort of first come first serve sort of mentality."

The council's leader, Liberal Democrat Lisa Spivey, said the latest defection "adds to a growing pattern of instability" in Reform UK.

"Recent tracking has recorded numerous Reform councillors across the country either resigning, being suspended or leaving the party," she said.

"The movement of former Reform councillors to Restore Britain is further evidence of fragmentation on the right.

"My wider concern, however, is the increasingly divisive politics we are seeing on the far right with rhetoric which does not seek to address the very real problems individuals, communities and businesses are facing, but simply seeks to stoke tension."

Rees is the only Restore Britain councillor on the county council, which also has 27 Lib Dem councillors, nine Greens, nine Reform UK, six Conservatives, two Independents, and one Labour member.

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