Stephen Dewing

I want to address an allegation directly, because Reform politicians seem determined to spread the idea that I am somehow working in coordination with the Conservative Party and Kemi Badenoch. Yes, I was a member of the Conservative Party. In 1993. My children have since been born and grown up. It was more than thirty years ago. Literally, a lifetime ago. Many of the Reform leadership certainly can’t say the same. Yes, I've met Kemi Badenoch. I speak to her occasionally. I like her personally. We have worked together in Parliament. She spoke positively about our rape gang inquiry, and I thanked her for it. Numerous Conservative MPs have supported my parliamentary work, including our inquiry. Esther McVey. Nick Timothy. Jack Rankin. Peter Bedford. I could go on. I am not going to apologise for that. I will work with anyone in Parliament who is prepared to help deliver meaningful change. We have achieved results by doing precisely that. Does that mean I forgive the Conservatives for what they did to Britain between 2010 and 2024? Absolutely not. It was a betrayal. I have literally established a national political party to fight them at the ballot box. I am delighted when we beat them, which is a growing amount. All that should be a fairly substantial clue… But opposing a political party does not require you to behave like a petulant child towards every single person associated with it. Conservative MPs believed I would do a good job on the Public Accounts Committee. I accepted the opportunity to scrutinise government spending and fight for British taxpayers. Again, absolutely no apologies. I think we have delivered results. Now let's compare that with Reform. Reform tried to have me imprisoned over false allegations. I would be in prison today if they had their way. Despite everything, I have repeatedly attempted to work with Reform MPs in Parliament. I have invited them to support initiatives, collaborate on important issues and help deliver results. Time and again, those invitations have been ignored. My emails don’t even get a reply. I happily sign their motions and support their efforts, I did earlier this week. The feeling is not mutual. They complain. They moan. They attack. They endlessly manufacture personal grievances. But ask them to put their animosities aside and actually achieve something together? Suddenly, it's total silence. I've received more constructive support in Parliament from Labour MPs than from Reform. Think about that. It is grievance politics at its most pathetic. Negative, unproductive and deeply unprofessional. My position is incredibly straightforward. At elections, we are opponents. In Parliament, we have a responsibility to get things done. I believe that is what our constituents want us to do. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think not. Reform claim we stand in more local council Reform seats than anyone else. Yes, because so many more Reform councillors resign in disgrace than any other party. We are moving towards standing in 100% of local council by-elections. We’ve stood in Reform seats, Labour seats, Tory seats. Everywhere and anywhere. I intend to fight both Reform and the Conservatives for every vote. I want Restore Britain to win over millions of people who previously voted for those parties. But that does not mean I have to insult everyone I disagree with, refuse to speak to political opponents or sabotage decent initiatives because somebody else might receive a little credit. I was elected to represent my constituents, not to participate in an endless Westminster playground feud. Do I like Kemi Badenoch and some other Conservative MPs personally? Yes. Will I work with them when it benefits the British people? Yes. Do I fundamentally oppose the Conservative Party's record and want Restore Britain to defeat them electorally? Yes. Their 14 years of power was an utter betrayal, and is largely responsible for the social, economic and demographic vandalism we have endured. All three things can be true. Any serious adult should be capable of understanding that. It is not difficult to comprehend. I will work with Conservatives. I will work with Labour. I will work with Reform, if they ever decide to behave constructively. Reform's increasingly nasty, brash and personally unpleasant approach to politics says far more about them than it does about me. It’s just downright rude. They seem to believe that refusing to work with anyone is a demonstration of strength. In my view, it’s a weakness that erodes our politics and fails our constituents. I have said it again and again. I will work with anyone in parliament to deliver for the British people. And I make no apologies for doing so.

I have always respected Tommy Robinson for his work on the rape gangs - he gave evidence to our inquiry, and it was remarkable to hear his level of knowledge. It contributed massively to our findings. Tommy was fair and balanced. I learnt a lot. He has not been treated fairly by our establishment for many years, and today is the latest example of that. To be honest, I believe it is a disgrace. He was right on the rape gangs. The state was wrong. They want to vilify him for that. The media, the justice system, Labour, the Tories, Farage. It was made very clear to me when I was in Reform that I was not to praise Tommy Robinson publicly. I did regardless. The entire establishment is against him. My view is this - he has done more than any politician to uncover the rape gangs, and for that I thank him.

It’s very easy for politicians to send other people’s children to war. My response to the bloodthirsty elite? You first.

France will burn into the late morning hours. To what end? So they can harbour millions who hate everything of what is means to be French? Was it worth it? Will it be worth it in Britain, when similar violence inevitably erupts? I think not. We watch as migrants ransack Paris whilst flying the flag of various African countries. Some may have arrived illegally, for most their presence is entirely ‘legal’. Plenty were probably born in France, and are technically ‘French’. For the rioters, evidently, their allegiance is not to France, or to the French people. Where does their loyalty truly lie? Their clan. The civilised world’s response must reflect that. Those convicted for arson, organised violence, and attacks on innocent people must face substantial prison sentences - foreign nationals involved must be removed. Citizenships stripped from dual nationals, obviously. Mass deportations. Act before they do. And in exceptional cases, I would go further. A Restore Britain Government will develop bilateral agreements and mechanisms with third countries to accept second-generation migrant offenders convicted of domestic terrorism and other such serious crimes, who, for now, hold only British citizenship. There will be no statelessness. It will be conducted fairly, and it will cost, but it will be done, and a message will be sent. The French should do the same. If you burn down a city, terrorise law-abiding citizens and torch the society around you - there will be consequences worthy of the crime. And if your allegiance lies elsewhere, and you demonstrate that through terrorism or extreme violence, a Restore Britain Government will send you to the country you claim allegiance to - if that's where your loyalty lies, we will aim to make that a reality. Britain is just a few short years behind France. We’ve had our warning - we must take it.

A Restore Britain Government will do what needs to be done - civil unrest and rioting will inevitably follow. We must be ready for that, and the public must be prepared too. What needs to happen will be incredibly painful. But it is all absolutely necessary to save our home.