University of York Restore Britain society gets go ahead

The students’ union said the application was submitted in March and recommended for approval last week.

The University of York’s Restore Britain society said it is “thrilled” to have been recommended for ratification, adding that it has “big plans” for the future.

It follows around 70 students protesting on the university’s campus after Restore Britain applied for the society.

Restore Britain was first launched as a political pressure group in June 2025 by Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe who was previously a member of Reform UK.

Its website lists policies including reversing mass immigration and abolishing the asylum system, banning the burqa and niqab, promoting Christian heritage in schools and launching an inquiry into Covid vaccines.

Anti-extremist group Hope Not Hate has raised concerns about the party’s rhetoric, including Mr Lowe referring to migrants at the party’s launch event and saying millions would have to go.

The group has also pointed to comments from the party’s Campaign Director Charlie Downes who said Britain was made up of people defined by an indigenous ancestry and Christian heritage.

Explaining its reasoning for approving the Restore Britain society, a spokesperson for the University of York students’ union said it has a “duty to uphold legislation on freedom of speech”.

“We are legally required to consider all society applications on the same basis, regardless of their politics,” they said in a statement.

“Refusing to ratify a society purely because of its lawful views would expose York SU to serious legal risk.”

The students’ union spokesperson said ratifying the society is “not an endorsement” of Restore Britain, adding: “It does not mean the SU supports Restore Britain’s views. It does not mean your offices support them.

“It means we are legally bound to apply the same process to every group that meets our requirements.”

The University of York’s Green society said it was “disappointed but unsurprised” by the decision.

“Students deserve to feel safe on campus and this should take priority,” a Green society spokesperson said.

 A University of York Restore Britain society spokesperson said: “We at UOY Restore Britain Society are absolutely thrilled to announce our official ratification.

 “We’ve got big plans for the future. We’d like to thank the SU for having the strength of will and professional integrity in making this decision in the midst of a hostile campus.”