An ex-Reform MP standing against Nigel Farage's party has been accused of caring more about his ego than the good of the country as he opens the door to Andy Burnham.

Polls suggest Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain could pave the way for the Mayor of Greater Manchester to claim victory in next month's crunch Makerfield by-election – putting him on a path to become the country's next radical Left-wing prime minister.

Mr Burnham was just three points ahead of Reform's candidate, plumber Robert Kenyon, with Restore Britain's Rebecca Shepherd in third – on a crucial 7 per cent of the vote.

Mr Lowe was a member of Mr Farage's Brexit Party, the precursor to Reform, before becoming a Reform MP in 2024.

He was sacked from the party the following year after accusations of bullying and threats of violence against fellow Reform figures, which he has denied. The police investigation into the claims was dropped.

Mr Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, sat as an independent before launching Restore Britain.

He said yesterday that Reform is 'incandescently angry' that Restore is standing in Makerfield.

He also suggested that Reform is weak on immigration, promising that his party would oversee 'entire communities' being deported from the country, and branded foreign rapists and their 'accomplices' as 'that cancer'.

But a senior Reform source said Mr Lowe is someone who 'cares more about his ego and vanity than what's best for the country'.

They added: 'Our internal figures show Restore on a tiny, single-figure percentage. The only thing they can succeed in doing by standing is gifting the seat to Labour and Andy Burnham.'

It comes after Mr Farage lashed out at US tech billionaire Elon Musk's endorsement of Restore Britain, warning that Mr Burnham would be 'delighted' by the fracturing of the Right-wing vote.

Luke Tryl, of think tank More in Common UK, said: 'While [Restore Britain is] unlikely to score huge numbers of votes themselves, if they achieve a low share they could make all the difference. Our spring [poll] projected Reform would be on the cusp of a majority without Restore standing.

'But if Rupert Lowe's party were to achieve as low as 3 per cent, that could cost Reform up to 70 seats and make forming a government far harder.'

He added: 'Early polling suggests Restore's vote could be the difference between Labour or Reform winning [Makerfield].'

In the local elections earlier this month, Mr Farage fell short of a majority on Norfolk County Council. Great Yarmouth First, an affiliate local party of Restore Britain, won a landslide in the town, picking up all nine of its council seats.

Senior Reform figure Matt Goodwin said: 'I think unless all patriotic voters unite behind Reform in Makerfield, then Andy Burnham will win, call an early snap general election and put Britain under a hard-Left government until 2031.'

Mr Lowe said: 'The increasingly desperate attacks from every Reform politician proves one thing – their internal data matches what we are finding in Makerfield.

'They have nothing left. Restore Britain is going to make history in Makerfield.'

Over the weekend, Restore Britain's branch organiser for Huddersfield quit, claiming the party had fallen into a 'state of paralysis' and is run through 'obfuscation and misdirection'.

Reform also faced questions yesterday about their Makerfield candidate Robert Kenyon.

On a now-deleted X account, Mr Kenyon supported a post using degrading sexual language about former Countdown star Carol Vorderman.

But Reform MP Danny Kruger said Mr Kenyon had been talking on social media as if he were 'chatting to their friends in the pub'.

He added: 'I'm not going to judge people for what are essentially regarded at the time, and intended as, private conversations. He's deleted that post and regrets it.'