By Andrew Spence
A former Reform UK councillor has joined Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain. The councillor quit Reform UK in March 2025, just weeks after hosting the party’s rally at Connexin Live.
Cllr Maria Bowtell, who represents the Bridlington Central and Old Town ward on East Riding Council, has another new party. Since being elected as a Conservative Party councillor in 2023, she has now represented three parties, as well as having a considerable stint as an Independent since leaving Reform.
In March 2024, Cllr Bowtell left the Tories for Reform UK where she had a seemingly prominent role. In February 2025, the councillor hosted Reform’s ‘rally’ where Luke Campbell was named as the party’s candidate for the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral election.
Just weeks later in March 2025, Cllr Bowtell left Reform, posting a letter addressed to Nigel Farage on social media. Cllr Bowtell claimed requests for support had been ‘dismissed and ignored’. Responding to her departure, Nigel Farage last year told Hull Live: “I am very disappointed by her, she’s been given a lot of my time at previous events. It’s a shame, I liked her, I wanted to promote her.”
The letter also commented on internal disputes within the party. Cllr Bowtell wrote: “The treatment of Rupert Lowe, in my view, crystallised many of these concerns and proved to be the final straw.”
Mr Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, was elected as a Reform UK MP at the 2024 General Election but was later suspended from the party. Mr Lowe has gone on to form his own political party, Restore Britain.
Earlier this month Cllr Bowtell was named as Restore Britain’s first ever councillor. A number of others have since followed, including seven former Reform UK councillors on Kent County Council.
In a video posted on Restore Britain’s X account, Cllr Bowtell said: “We’re going to fight and we’re going to win in 2029.” The UK’s next General Election is expected to be held in 2029.
Cllr Bowtell was invited to comment on her decision to join the party. She declined the offer.
