Reform UK has suspended MP Rupert Lowe and reported him to the police over allegations of "threats of physical violence" against the party’s chairman, Zia Yusuf.
In a joint statement with chief whip Lee Anderson, Yusuf also revealed that the party had received complaints of workplace bullying within Lowe’s parliamentary and constituency offices. An independent lawyer has been appointed to investigate the allegations made by two female employees.
Lowe responded on social media platform X, calling the accusations "untrue and false." He expressed disappointment but said he was "not surprised" by the allegations. Lowe insisted there was "zero credible evidence" against him and that he was seeking legal advice immediately.
According to Lowe, his suspension was a direct response to his recent criticism of party leader Nigel Farage in a newspaper interview.
Party divisions come to the fore
Reform UK, the successor to Farage’s Brexit Party, has been performing well in recent polls. However, this internal dispute has exposed deep divisions at the top of the party.
With just five MPs in the House of Commons, the suspension of Lowe leaves Reform with one fewer representative in Parliament.
Earlier this week, Lowe gave an interview to the Daily Mail, where he described Reform as "a protest party led by the Messiah" under Farage. He argued that Farage would need a strong team around him to achieve real political success.
Farage dismissed Lowe’s remarks, stating that he was "completely wrong" and insisting that Reform UK was "absolutely not a protest party."
Following his suspension, a Reform UK spokesperson confirmed that the party whip had been withdrawn from Lowe, meaning he will now sit as an independent MP.
Lowe rejects allegations, calls for dialogue
Reacting to the decision, Lowe said:
"I asked reasonable and constructive questions of Nigel Farage and Reform's leadership after months of trying to push for progress behind closed doors. The next day, I find a knife in my back over false allegations. Whip suspended."
A source within Reform UK denied that the allegations and investigation were linked to Lowe’s public dispute with Farage.
Police investigation underway
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers had received an allegation regarding verbal threats made by a 67-year-old man on December 13, 2024. The police are currently assessing the claims to determine their next steps.
Reform UK stated that a King’s Counsel (KC) had been appointed to investigate allegations of workplace bullying and that complaints had also been submitted to parliamentary authorities.
The party’s statement also accused Lowe of repeatedly making threats against chairman Zia Yusuf.
"To date, Mr. Lowe has yet to cooperate with this investigation. In addition to these allegations of a disturbing pattern of behavior, Mr. Lowe has on at least two occasions made threats of physical violence against our party chairman. Accordingly, this matter is with the police."
Lowe, however, countered these claims, stating that he had "cooperated and spoken at length" with the lawyer handling the investigation.
On Saturday morning, he extended an olive branch to Farage, inviting him to dinner to resolve the dispute. Lowe claimed he had made similar invitations "multiple times over many months," but they had been ignored or declined.
Tim Montgomerie, a former Conservative commentator who joined Reform in December, told BBC Newsnight that tensions between Lowe and Farage had been apparent from the start.
"I don’t know the specifics of these allegations, but this clash was inevitable at some point."
As the internal battle continues, the fallout from Lowe’s suspension raises serious questions about Reform UK’s leadership and unity moving forward. Photo by Laurie Noble, Wikimedia commons.
