York’s only independent councillor has joined a political party.
Cllr Mark Warters, who represents Osbaldwick and Derwent Ward, is now a member of Restore Britain.
That’s the party set up by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe. Its policies include reversing mass migration, holding a referendum on restoring the death penalty and legalising lethal force against intruders.
Cllr Warters says he “became an official Independent/Restore Britain councillor on the 26 March prior to the York Full Council meeting”.
His move has prompted a call for him to resign by Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for York Outer, Cllr Andrew Hollyer.
He said: “Residents in Osbaldwick and Derwent Ward did not vote for this. They voted for an Independent councillor, not for a party whose leader says ‘millions will have to go’.
“Restore Britain is built around mass deportation, scrapping human rights protections, and rhetoric about who does and doesn’t belong in this country. That is a hard-right, divisive agenda that should have no place in our communities.
“This is a party operating in a political space increasingly associated with ‘remigration’ and ethnic nationalism. People will draw their own conclusions about what that means.
“If Cllr Warters believes in this agenda, he should have the decency to put it to the voters. Resign, stand in a by-election, and let the people decide.”
Ian Eiloart, Lib Dem campaigner for Osbaldwick and Derwent, has launched a petition calling on Cllr Warters to resign.
But Cllr Warters has robustly defended his position.
“I have never been a member of a political party in my life and never thought I would be as certainly since 1997 no national government has been working in the best interests of the UK and the effects up and down the country are clear for all to see,” he said.
“In York where I have lived all my life, in contrast to many of the political councillors who are relatively recent residents of this city, I am acutely aware of the increasingly fast pace of deterioration around us.
“It is in that background that I joined Restore Britain as a ‘movement’ last summer. On the 14th February this year Rupert Lowe MP announced the movement was to become a political party.
“The Electoral Commission formally recognised the party and I became an official Independent/Restore Britain councillor on the 26th March prior to the York Full Council meeting.
“I have publicised my membership of Restore Britain in my newsletter currently being delivered to households across the ward and in emails to my lengthy correspondence list. I have nothing to hide and will stand as a Restore Britain candidate in this ward in 2027.”
Cllr Warters added: “The Lib-Dem candidate for York Outer, Cllr Andrew Hollyer accuses me of ‘extremist politics’, leaving aside the fact my membership and support for Restore Britain alters absolutely nothing as to how I work in this ward.
“What actually is extremist? Is wanting the flow of immigrants crossing the Channel stopped ‘extremist’? Is wanting those who have crossed illegally detained and deported ‘extremist’?
“Is wanting those in the U.K. residing in taxpayer funded accommodation that is bleeding the country dry financially (a large contributory factor in the financial state of local authorities in the U.K.) to be deported ‘extremist’?”
He said he would “present myself to the local electorate in May 2027 based on what I have done in the ward and continue to do rather than respond to this Lib-Dem smear campaign”.
