Bridlington Councillor Maria Bowtell joins Restore Britain

Cllr Maria Bowtell, who represents the Bridlington Central and Old Town ward on East Riding Council, has taken up the role of the party’s head of governance.

Since being elected as a Conservative Party councillor in 2023, she has now represented three parties, as well as having a considerable stint as an independent since leaving Reform.

In March 2024, Cllr Bowtell left the Tories for Reform UK where she had a seemingly prominent role.

In February 2025, the councillor hosted Reform’s ‘rally’ where Luke Campbell was named as the party’s candidate for the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral election.

Just weeks later, in March 2025, Cllr Bowtell left Reform, posting a letter addressed to Nigel Farage on social media. Cllr Bowtell claimed requests for support had been ‘dismissed and ignored’.

Responding to her departure, Nigel Farage last year told Hull Live: “I am very disappointed by her, she’s been given a lot of my time at previous events. It’s a shame, I liked her, I wanted to promote her.”

Mr Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, was elected as a Reform UK MP at the 2024 General Election but was later suspended from the party. He has gone on to form his own political party, Restore Britain.

Earlier this month, Cllr Bowtell was named as Restore Britain’s first ever councillor. A number of others have since followed, including seven former Reform UK councillors on Kent County Council.

Cllr Bowtell, speaking to the Bridington Free Press, said: “My political opinions and principles have not changed, the other national parties are not delivering, or promising, the changes I would like to see.

“I have now been appointed as Restore Britain’s head of governance, and will oversee the work of local councillors.”

In a video posted on Restore Britain’s X account, Cllr Bowtell said: “We’re going to fight and we’re going to win in 2029.”

The UK’s next General Election is expected to be held in 2029.