Rupert Lowe mocked Reform UK for being able to fit its MPs on the back of a moped as the acrimonious split at the top of Nigel Farage’s party intensified.
Lowe accused Farage of a “vindictive witch-hunt” after he was suspended by the party in a messy public row involving claims of bullying and smearing. While Lowe faces claims of aggressive behaviour, he accused Farage’s allies of briefing that he had dementia in a “sick” attempt to discredit him.
He argued that the allegations against him had been “maliciously concocted” because of his criticisms of Farage’s leadership last week, accusing the party’s leadership of a “co-ordinated hit job to force me out of Reform”.
Lowe seems unlikely to reclaim the Reform whip, and the party is down to four MPs. “The vehicle required to transport my parliamentary party has dropped from a black cab to a moped,” Lowe wrote on social media overnight.
The Conservatives suggested that Lowe should join them after Farage’s allies insisted his situation had become “impossible” in the party. Lowe used an interview last week to claim that Farage acted like a “messiah” and needed to delegate, pushing simmering tension at the top of the party out into the open.
Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, denied that the decision to report Lowe to the police on Friday and withdraw the party whip was linked to his criticism of Farage.
“Behind the scenes, there have been a number of difficulties and challenges, and you get to the point where you say enough’s enough,” Tice told Sky News.
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“Rupert has been doing some great work on a variety of important issues, but ultimately, if you can’t work with someone, if the situation becomes impossible … then you have to say, this is not going to end well.”
Tice said the party had gone public after “an additional threat that was made about the chairman, Zia Yusuf”. He added: “It’s very sad, but … it was the responsible thing to do.”
Suggesting Lowe would not be allowed back into the party, Tice told the BBC: “It’s become just really challenging. The whip has been withdrawn, we’re a united team going forwards.”
On Friday Reform accused Lowe of workplace bullying, threatening physical violence against the party chair, targeting female staff and a “disturbing pattern of behaviour”, saying it had received two complaints from female employees.
In a long rebuttal posted on social media, Lowe said the claims were “maliciously concocted to drag my name through the mud with zero credible evidence against me. All because I dared to pose a few reasonable questions of Reform’s leadership.”
He alleged that the employees had made the claims only after disciplinary proceedings had started against them and that no concerns had been raised by parliamentary authorities. Lowe said it was an “outright lie” to claim he had not co-operated with an investigation, insisting he had spoken “at length” with the KC investigating.
Accusing Reform of a “disgraceful waste of police time”, Lowe said the dispute with Yusuf was months ago and suggested he was ready to take legal action. “It is a vindictive witch-hunt, all because I asked awkward questions of Nigel,” he said. While saying he had “enormous respect” for Farage, Lowe said Reform was “not Nigel’s party” but belonged to the members. “Spending their £25s on this vindictive plot to kick me out is a betrayal,” he added.
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Lowe, whose tough statements on migration and integration have previously been backed by Elon Musk, claimed the dispute stemmed from his public campaign for mass deportations of immigrants. “I have been warned by those at the top of Reform about my position on deportations,” Lowe wrote.
He insisted: “Asking reasonable questions of Reform structure, policy and communication may be awkward and uncomfortable, but it is entirely necessary.”
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, suggested Lowe might join the Tories. “He hasn’t applied yet but we’re obviously a broad and welcoming political party,” he told Times Radio. “People have been joining the Conservatives from across the political spectrum and we always welcome new joiners.”
