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Rupert Lowe, Restore Britain, and the importance of asking questions before we anoint a saviour

Every so often in British politics, someone arrives who seems to say exactly what a lot of people have been thinking privately for years, and in Rupert Lowe’s case, that moment appears to be now.


Rupert Lowe
Image from National Review

His recent messaging on his X account (https://x.com/RupertLowe10/status/2024413757296791717?s=20) around lockdowns, vaccine passports, state overreach and the damage done to businesses and families during 2020 and 2021 will land with many who feel deeply let down by how that period was handled. For those who lost work, missed funerals, watched their children struggle or saw their livelihoods collapse overnight, hearing a politician speak plainly about those decisions may feel long overdue.


And that reaction is completely understandable. It is without doubt reading through it, I find myself nodding in agreement throughout the message.


But if the last few years have taught us anything, it is that emotional agreement is not the same thing as informed trust.


There is a quote that often circulates online, attributed to Albert Pike, although its authorship is disputed, which says that whenever the people need a hero, one will be supplied. Whether Pike ever said those words is beside the point. The pattern they describe is familiar enough to be worth keeping in mind.


When someone appears at exactly the moment the public is hungry for a champion, it is usually wise to pause and ask a few very basic questions.


I am not saying we should aim hostile questions, but to be critical, and to attempt to look at the whole picture.



What Lowe is saying now


Restore Britain’s policy direction, at least from what has been shared publicly so far, focuses heavily on reassessing lockdown decisions, overturning certain COVID-era convictions, offering compensation to those affected by mandates and reopening questions around modelling and advisory bodies.


And as I mentioned, those who questioned the official narrative most certainly would not disagree with what Rupert is saying.


But policy positions are only one part of the story. A track record matters too. And if we are going to hold existing politicians to account for conflicts of interest or incentives, the same standard should apply to new arrivals who appear to be offering an alternative.



Declared business interests


According to the official UK Parliamentary Register of Interests, Rupert Lowe has declared shareholdings in a number of companies, including:




You can view these declarations here:


None of this suggests any wrongdoing in itself and many politicians have business interests, past or present.


However, these are sectors which may stand to benefit from expanding policy around energy transition and in particular Agenda 2030 and the net zero agenda with electrification of heating and online safety enforcement. That does not mean policy is being shaped for commercial gain. But it does mean that a reasonable observer might want to understand how business exposure intersects with political positioning.


If the state moves toward subsidised heat pump adoption or wider digital safeguarding infrastructure, those markets grow and that is simply how incentives work.



COVID-era reporting


There has also been reporting in UK media relating to a company Rupert Lowe was linked to during the pandemic period.


Articles citing company accounts state that Biopharma Process Systems Ltd recorded significant profits during the COVID years, including a reported £7.9 million pre-tax profit in 2021, alongside government grant support and furlough-related payments.


For reference:


Again, none of this automatically implies anything improper. But it is the kind of information that helps build a fuller picture.


If a politician is now calling for sweeping reassessments of pandemic policy, it is not unreasonable to ask what their own commercial exposure looked like during that time.



The COVID testing question


Some reporting has also suggested that Lowe held shares in a company involved in COVID testing which paid dividends during the pandemic period.


At the time of writing, this appears in secondary reporting and would need to be confirmed through direct filings to establish the precise company structure and shareholding at the relevant dates.


In other words, this is exactly the kind of claim that should be checked properly before being repeated as fact.


Which brings us back to the point of this piece:


Scrutiny should be based on documents, not assumptions.



Online amplification and visibility


It is also worth noting that Rupert Lowe’s messaging has recently been amplified by high-profile figures online, including Elon Musk (https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2022557973265158441).


And I believe in the current media environment, that matters, because a single repost or endorsement from a large account can introduce a political figure to millions of people who may never otherwise have encountered them. Visibility is no longer built solely through party machines or traditional media coverage. It can be shaped rapidly through platform dynamics and informal networks of influence.


Again, that does not imply coordination or wrongdoing, but it does raise a simple question for viewers and voters:


Are we responding to someone’s long-term record, or to a sudden surge in digital visibility?



A simple rule


If a politician says something you agree with, that should not the moment to switch your brain off, in fact it is the moment to ask more questions about what else you should know.


The purpose of this article is not to endorse or dismiss Rupert Lowe, Restore Britain, or any emerging political movement.


It is simply to encourage the same level of curiosity and due diligence that many now apply to established parties.


Because consistency, not enthusiasm, is what keeps public accountability alive.

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