Nigel Farage has hit out at his former friend Elon Musk, after the tech-billionaire supported Reform rival Restore UK in the Makerfield by-election.
Mr Farage leader warned the Tesla boss will “split the right” after he backed Rupert Lowe’s party – which was set up as a right-wing challenger to Reform – in a series of posts on X.
Restore has fielded a candidate to run in the upcoming Makerfield by-election, which could see Andy Burnham return to parliament to challenge the prime minister if he is able to win back votes from Reform in the area.
An opinion poll suggested Mr Burnham has the lead of just three percentage points over Reform’s Robert Kenyon.
Meanwhile, Restore’s candidate had seven percentage points, indicating it could pose a major issue for Mr Farage by splitting the right-wing vote.
On Sunday, Mr Musk reposted a message from Mr Lowe with the comment “Restore Britain”. He also posted “Restore Britain” in response to an interview by Reform’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick.
Mr Farage said Mr Burnham would be “delighted” by Mr Musk’s intervention.
He told the Telegraph: “Elon Musk has decided he will try to split the right of British politics as best he can.
“This is supporting a party that’s one man with a social media account. Quite what he’s trying to achieve, I have no idea.”
A Survation poll, based on 369 respondents likely to vote in the election, puts the Manchester mayor narrowly in the lead in the contest with 43 points.
Reform UK’s Mr Kenyon trails just three points behind with 40 points. Restore Britain appears to have fractured the right-wing vote with seven points.
The Liberal Democrats are on 4 per cent, while the Green candidate – who has pulled out since the survey took place – was on 3 per cent.
Lowe founded Restore after he was suspended from Reform UK last year, amid claims he had threatened then-party chairman Zia Yusuf.
He denied the allegations, and the Crown Prosecution Service said no criminal charges would be brought against him in relation to alleged threats towards Mr Yusuf.
He said there were “millions of Brits who are with us” and “Farage can arrogantly insult me over and over, but he has never been more wrong”.
“Farage has just gone to the media to attack Restore Britain, again,” Mr Lowe said
“He says that Elon Musk is supporting a party ‘that’s one man with a social media account’. This is where Farage is so very wrong.”
