All the Reform row claims as barrister denies Rupert Lowe comments ...Middle East

Reform UK may only have five MPs – four with Friday’s suspension of Rupert Lowe – but it is making enough headlines to vie with any of the other parties.

Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, was accused of the “serious bullying” of two female employees and “threats of physical violence” towards the party chairman Zia Yusuf.

Lowe has vigorously denied the allegations, saying they are “untrue and false”, and calling it a “witch hunt”.

Here’s a timeline of the volleys back and forth, culminating on Sunday evening with Reform’s barrister denying comments Lowe attributed to her.

In a candid interview with the Daily Mail on Thursday, Lowe appeared to throw doubt on Farage’s leadership of Reform UK.

When asked about being a favourite to be the next prime minister among bookmakers, he said: “I’m barely six months into being an MP and I’m in the betting to be the next prime minister.

“It’s absolutely staggering. I don’t know where this has come from.”

But he went on to question whether Farage would be a good prime minister, saying that he had “messianic qualities” and calling for the party to “change from being a protest party led by the Messiah” to a structured one with a frontbench.

“We have to start behaving as if we are leading and not merely protesting”, he said. “Nigel is a messianic figure who is at the core of everything but he has to learn to delegate, as not everything can go through one person.”

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Lowe questioned whether Farage would be a good Prime Minister (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty)

Thursday: Reform reports Lowe to the police for ‘verbal threats’

“On Thursday, 6 March, we received an allegation of verbal threats made by a 67-year-old man on Friday 13 December,” a Metropolitan police spokesperson said on Friday.

“Officers are carrying out an assessment of the allegations to determine what further action may be required.”

Friday: Lowe suspended, and Reform statement reveals police report

Lowe was suspended from the party and referred to the police, after allegations he made “threats of physical violence” against the party’s chairman Zia Yusuf.

In a statement, Reform UK said it was launching an independent investigation, having also received “complaints from two female employees about serious bullying in the offices of the Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth, Rupert Lowe”.

It said evidence had been provided of “workplace bullying” and “derogatory and discriminatory remarks”.

The statement was signed by Lee Anderson, the party’s chief whip, and the chairman.

*** Reform civil war *** A day after Rupert Lowe criticised Nigel Farage, Reform say Lowe has been accused of bullying staff and threatening the party chair with violence, and the police are involved.

Friday: Lowe issues statement

Lowe took issue with Reform UK’s announcement of an independent investigation into his behaviour. In a lengthy statement, he said: “I have just spoken to the KC. She is dismayed that this statement has been made, and reiterated that no evidence against me has been sent to her.

“She stated that this has been issued before the investigation has even started.

“She is shocked at the process, shocked at the communication from the party, and shocked that no credible evidence has been given, despite her repeated requests.”

Rupert Lowe MP (suspended from Reform, after criticising the leadership, over allegations of bullying, and allegations of violent threat – reported to the police) says he has been unable to meet Farage since being elected in July 2024Chances of a Farage/Lowe rapprochement seem close to zero now

On Saturday, Lowe asked Nigel Farage to “have dinner” with him, to resolve issues.

In a message posted on X, he said: “I can only smash my head against a brick wall for so long.”

He asked the party leader to “resolve this in a manner that our members and the country would expect”.

“I am going to now repeat publicly an invitation that I have extended to Nigel Farage in private multiple times over many months,” he said. “Every offer has been refused or ignored.”

Sunday morning: Battle of the headlines

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Reform leader Nigel Farage accused Lowe of multiple “outbursts” and “inappropriate behaviour” and said that he had been “surprised and saddened” by his conduct.

“We did our best to keep a lid on things but, in the end, containment strategies invariably fail,” he wrote.

Lowe hit back in his own article, also in The Sunday Telegraph, writing that he would “not tolerate these falsehoods” and was consulting lawyers.

“Is it a surprise that these allegations were made public the day after I made reasonable criticisms of Nigel Farage and the Reform leadership?” he wrote.

The barrister acting for Reform told the BBC:  “I have seen a number of statements made by Mr Lowe MP which are attributed to me and which describe my reactions to the process conducted by the party into the allegations made against both Mr Lowe MP and his constituency manager.

“I find myself in the unfortunate and regrettable position of having to make this statement to correct the record.”

She added: “I have not expressed either ‘dismay’ or ‘shock’ at any time as to the process. Nor have I said ‘there is zero credible evidence against [Mr Lowe]’, let alone said this ‘repeatedly’.”

The BBC put the barrister’s comment to Lowe who issued a further statement in reply. “Ever since this malicious attack on my reputation was launched, all I have asked for from both Reform and the KC is credible evidence against me. None has been provided. It still hasn’t,” he said.

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“The KC has said she has been ‘chasing’ for that. I have received nothing. Because there is no credible evidence against me.”

He added: “I have spoken with the KC at length, on the phone and through message. I’ve got to know her over the last week, and she has been very helpful, and is a charming lady who is trying to do her job in the very difficult position that Reform has put her in.”

‘Outright lie’

Lowe went on to accuse Reform UK of an “outright lie” in claiming he had not co-operated with the investigation, which they had said in their Friday statement.

“I have been in discussions with my legal team this afternoon, and this will be followed by legal action in due course,” Lowe told the BBC.

“I will not have my name dragged through the mud as part of a political assassination because I dared to question Nigel Farage. You have to stand up to bullies, and I am doing exactly that.”

He said the barrister had told him on Friday night: “I advised that you should simply say that the party was precipitous to state that these allegations had been made without also saying that the party has commissioned an independent investigation and the investigation has not yet got underway to look at all the evidence and evaluate its veracity.”

Reform has yet to respond to this latest statement – but the week is still young.

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