Reform infighting erupts as Rupert Lowe denies bullying and violence claims ...Middle East

Reform UK has said it has opened up an independent investigation into the conduct of its MP Rupert Lowe and withdrawn the party whip.

In a statement, the party’s chair Zia Yusuf and chief whip Lee Anderson said that Reform had received complaints about “serious bullying” of staff and “threats of physical violence” against Yusuf. It said that the latter allegation had resulted in a report to the police.

But Lowe said that the claims were “untrue and false” and suggested that the “vexatious statement” had been released because he had publicly challenged party leader Nigel Farage.

In a statement released on Friday afternoon, Yusuf and Anderson said: “It is with regret that we feel obligated to disclose that the party received complaints from two female employees about serious bullying in the offices of the Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth, Rupert Lowe.

“One worked in his parliamentary office, the other in his constituency office, we understand complains have been made to parliamentary authorities.

“Evidence was provided to us of workplace bullying, the targeting of female staff who raised concerns, and evidence of derogatory and discriminatory remarks made about women, including reference to a perceived disability.

“We feel we have a duty of care to all of our staff, whether employed directly or indirectly. Accordingly we appointed an independent King’s Counsel to conduct an investigation into the veracity of these complaints. To date, Mr Lowe has yet to cooperate with this investigation.”

The statement goes on: “In addition to these allegations of a disturbing pattern of behaviour, Mr Lowe has on at least two occasions made threats of physical violence against our party chairman. Accordingly, this matter is with the police.”

In a later statement, a Reform spokesman added: “We can confirm that Rupert Lowe has had the whip withdrawn.”

Lowe said that he was “disappointed, but not surprised, to read Reform’s untrue and false allegations”.

In a statement published on X, he said that “allegations of physical threats are outrageous and entirely untrue” and that he had “never made any derogatory comments about women, or those with disabilities”.

He said the claim was “a lie” and that he would be “seeking legal advice immediately”.

His statement went on: “It is no surprise that this vexatious statement has been issued the day after my reasonable and constructive questions of Nigel and the Reform structure.”

On Thursday, Lowe said in an interview that it was “too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods” after he was asked whether Farage would make a good prime minister.

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He told the Daily Mail: “He can only deliver if he surrounds himself with the right people.

“Nigel is a fiercely independent individual and is extremely good at what we have done so far. He has got messianic qualities. Will those messianic qualities distill into sage leadership? I don’t know.”

In his statement, Lowe claimed that he had been “frozen out of meetings, policy discussions, press conferences and more”.

“My repeated requests for better communication and regular meetings have been ignored and mocked,” he said.

He urged Reform supporters to “stay with the party” and said “infighting serves nobody but our enemies”.

But he added: “A complete inability to accept even the most mild constructive criticism without such a malicious reaction is not effective leadership.

“This is our party as much as it is Nigel’s.”

In a second comment posted on X on Friday evening, Lowe added: “I asked reasonable and constructive questions of Nigel Farage and Reform’s leadership, following months of pushing for progress behind closed doors.

“The day after, I find a knife in my back over false allegations. Whip suspended.

“That tells you everything you need to know.”

Rupert Lowe’s full statement

“I am disappointed, but not surprised, to read Reform’s untrue and false allegations.

“Let me be abundantly clear – this investigation is based on zero credible evidence against me, as has been repeatedly stated by the neutral investigator. None has been provided.

“I have cooperated and spoken at length with the KC they instructed, at great cost to the party, to investigate a minor staff matter.

“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.

 “I was sent an initial letter late on Friday afternoon last week, again with no evidence provided, with no prior warning and no attempt to understand the full position.

“Allegations of physical threats are outrageous and entirely untrue. 

I have never made any derogatory comments about women, or those with disabilities. This is a lie. These allegations are not even referring to me. I will be seeking legal advice immediately.

“There is no credible evidence against me, as the KC has stated on numerous occasions.

“It is no surprise that this vexatious statement has been issued the day after my reasonable and constructive questions of Nigel and the Reform structure. It was issued on X late on a Friday afternoon, with no prior warning.

“All I stated was that communication needs to improve, delegation needs to improve, structure needs to improve – these are all reasonable requests of a party looking to form the next Government. I stand by everything I said.

“I have been pushing for this behind the scenes for many months, with zero success. I have been frozen out of meetings, policy discussions, press conferences and more. My repeated requests for better communication and regular meetings have been ignored and mocked.

“Honestly, I have tried and tried – and will continue to try. I did not speak publicly without exhausting all other options, repeatedly. I have done everything in my power to resolve this behind closed doors. Sadly, I failed.

“Our voters, our members and our country all deserve so much better than this.

“To Reform supporters of mine, please stay with the party. We must win the next election. There is no other choice. Infighting serves nobody but our enemies. This could have all been resolved with even the most basic level of communication.

“I do not believe that Reform members will be pleased to know that their membership fees are being spent on instructing expensive lawyers to investigate their own MPs, over matters that are entirely baseless and have been dealt with in the correct Parliamentary procedure, with HR’s full involvement and support.

“The staff member in question only raised a vexatious complaint once disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against them for serious wrongdoing. The other individual mentioned, dropped her appeal.

“If they want to kick me out over false claims, they’ll have to finally present some credible evidence against me. There is none, as the KC has just told me. Again.

“A complete inability to accept even the most mild constructive criticism without such a malicious reaction is not effective leadership.

“This is our party as much as it is Nigel’s.”

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