Rupert Lowe threatens legal action over BBC excluding Restore Britain from Question Time panel
'I thought Restore Britain want to defund the BBC, but are now throwing a tantrum because they’re not on it?'
Rupert Lowe has said he is considering taking legal action against the BBC after Restore Britain was not invited to appear on BBC Question Time for a Makerfield by-election special tonight.
The episode will feature candidates from five parties: Labour’s Andy Burnham, Michael Winstanley from the Conservatives, the Lib Dem candidate Jake Austin, Sarah Wakefield from the Greens and Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon.
A BBC spokesperson said that Question Time has invited five parties to take part in the debate, a decision which is “based – as is always the case – on their past and current electoral support”.
A message posted on Restore Britain’s X account says: “This is blatant election interference and deliberately designed to suppress the Restore Britain vote.”
A Survation poll ahead of the Makerfield by-election put support for Restore Britain at 7%, behind Labour on 43% and Reform on 40%.
In a post on his X profile yesterday, Lowe wrote: “Deliberately excluding Restore Britain is outrageous – I will be consulting our legal team this morning.”
Restore Britain’s leader and founder, Rupert Lowe, has referred to the BBC as “a destructive cancer at the heart of Britain”, and said that a Restore Britain Government would defund the BBC, scrap the licence fee and make it a subscription service.
Labour MPs highlighted the irony of Lowe’s response, pointing to his past comments about the broadcaster.
Labour MP Andrew Western wrote: “He hates the BBC. I’m surprised he’d want their candidate to appear.”
Luke Charters, MP for York Outer, said: “Hang on a minute. I thought Restore Britain want to defund the BBC, but are now throwing a tantrum because they’re not on it?
“Make it make sense. Bunch of snowflakes.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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