Rotherham survivor-campaigner Sammy Woodhouse joins Restore Britain

The main points

- Sammy Woodhouse announced on X on Tuesday 3rd November that she is "working with Restore Britain".

- Restore Britain welcomed her to "the Restore Britain team" that evening. Rupert Lowe said he was "very much looking forward to working with" her.

- Her exact role has not been specified. Neither she nor the party has said whether she is joining as staff, a member or a candidate.

- She is known for her campaign for "Sammy's Law", which South Yorkshire's police chiefs and the national police lead for child sexual abuse backed in 2017, according to the BBC and the Guardian.

- She led Restore Britain's independent Rape Gang Inquiry until last month, when she said her time on the inquiry had ended but her "fight to protect children" would continue.

- Lowe has previously praised her as someone who has "dedicated" her life to "ending the rape gang evil".

The announcement

Woodhouse made the announcement herself. On Tuesday 3rd November at 17:50 GMT she posted on X:

"And I can now officially announce that I'm working with Restore Britain, alongside my favourite MP in the country.

Exciting times ahead. Lots more to come! 🇬🇧"

At 19:59 GMT, Restore Britain's official account quoted her post and wrote:

"Welcome to the Restore Britain team, Sammy!"

Three minutes later, at 20:02 GMT, Lowe posted:

"I am very much looking forward to working with Sammy Woodhouse (@officialsammyuk) at Restore Britain - a great addition to our team."

Woodhouse reposted Lowe's message on her own account that evening.

What her role will be

Neither Woodhouse nor Restore Britain has said what her role will be. None of the posts says whether she will be a member of staff, a party member, an adviser or a candidate. We will report any further detail when the party or Woodhouse sets it out.

Who is Sammy Woodhouse?

Woodhouse has waived her right to anonymity and has spoken publicly about her experience for many years. The Independent has described her as a "Rotherham abuse victim" who "was targeted, groomed and abused as a teenager".

She is best known for the campaign that bears her name. In 2017, the BBC reported that she wanted a change in the law so that child abuse victims could be pardoned for crimes they committed while being groomed. She told the BBC:

"Sammy's Law is about having something in place nationally that will stop children from being charged or convicted whilst they are being groomed and forced to commit a crime."

The BBC reported that South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, and its chief constable, Stephen Watson, backed the campaign. In a letter to her, they wrote:

"We believe that the concept of 'Sammy's Law' would provide vital reassurance to victims and survivors that the abuse they suffered in the past will not continue to impact their future."

The Guardian reported in October 2017 that Simon Bailey, then the national police lead for child sexual abuse cases, also backed the idea. He said police "would want to explore how Sammy's law could help minimise the impact on these victims' futures."

Her calls for a wider national inquiry

Woodhouse has argued that the statutory national inquiry into grooming gangs should go further. In March 2026, the Independent reported her response on X when the inquiry set out its terms of reference:

"They also need to extend it beyond 30 years. This issue goes back many more decades.

"They also need to investigate every council and police force in the UK."

In the same post, quoted by the Independent, she said the inquiry needed to speak "with whistleblowers, parents, and people born from the rapes, as well as survivors".

Her work on Restore's Rape Gang Inquiry

Woodhouse's link with Lowe goes back further than this week. The Independent reported that she "was part of Restore Britain MP Rupert Lowe's private investigation into grooming gangs".

In a personal statement on X on Wednesday 21st October at 20:08 BST, she said she would "no longer be working alongside MP Rupert Lowe and his team as lead on the Rape Gang Inquiry". She thanked Lowe "for launching the inquiry and ensuring that the findings were published for the world to see". She also thanked the survivors, family members, professionals and whistleblowers who gave evidence.

She added:

"Although my time working on the inquiry has come to an end, my fight to protect children, expose government corruption and hold those responsible to account will continue."

Lowe replied at 21:01 BST that evening:

"Thanks for everything. You are a hero, Sammy. Looking forward to working with you on Restore Britain."

Why it matters for Restore's campaign

Lowe has repeatedly linked Woodhouse to Restore Britain's work on the rape gang scandal.

On Saturday 25th July, after a Restore Britain event in Tameside, Lowe wrote that it was:

"An honour to share the stage with Marlon West and Sammy Woodhouse at our Restore Britain event in Tameside yesterday - two individuals who have dedicated their lives to ending the rape gang evil."

He added that she and Marlon West "have achieved FAR more than any politician".

West has also welcomed the news. On Tuesday 3rd November he posted that it was "Amazing news" that Woodhouse "is joining the team at @RestoreBritain".

Lowe has also set out how Restore's own inquiry relates to the statutory national inquiry. On Friday 26th June, he said Restore's independent Rape Gang Inquiry had received "an official request for information and evidence from the Statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs". He said Restore would cooperate "when and only when the survivor who has provided testimony or evidence is happy and comfortable to do so". He added:

"I want to thank the national inquiry for reaching out, and we will do everything in our power to assist their investigations in order to finally deliver justice."

Restore Britain and Lowe have not yet said what Woodhouse will work on. Her own message ended: "Exciting times ahead. Lots more to come!"

Image: Paul Eggleston, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons