Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has been reported to the police over alleged threats of physical violence against the party’s chair.
A statement from chairman Zia Yusuf and chief whip Lee Anderson also said the party has received complaints from two female employees about alleged serious bullying in Mr Lowe’s offices.
Mr Yusuf and Mr Anderson said “we understand complaints have been made to parliamentary authorities”.
Mr Lowe has released a statement saying the allegations were “untrue and false”, saying the allegations of physical threats are “outrageous and entirely untrue”, and referenced a “vexatious complaint” made by another staff member.
Mr Yusuf and Mr Anderson said in their statement that Mr Lowe had “on at least two occasions made threats of physical violence against” Mr Yusuf.
The statement 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.”
It added: “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.
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“We feel we have a duty of care to all 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.
“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.
“Reform stands for the highest standards of conduct in public life, and we will apply these standards without fear nor favour, including within our own party.”
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Earlier this week, Mr Lowe appeared to question Nigel Farage’s leadership of Reform.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Great Yarmouth MP said: “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 distil into sage leadership?
“I don’t know.”
He added: “I’m not going to be by Nigel’s side at the next election unless we have a proper plan to change the way we govern from top to bottom.”
During Mr Farage’s online falling out with Elon Musk, in which the Tesla businessman said Reform needed a new leader, Mr Lowe drew praise from Mr Musk.
And in the interview with the Daily Mail, Mr Lowe noted that he was “barely six months into being an MP” and “in the betting to be the next prime minister.”
In his statement today, Mr Lowe said: “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.”
He claimed the lawyer was “dismayed” the statement from Reform had been published – and that the investigation had not even started.
Mr Lowe claimed the lawyer told him that “no credible evidence has been given”.
The MP added that he was sent an initial letter of complaint last Friday from the party with “no evidence provided”.
“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,” he added.
Mr Lowe continued: “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.”
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His response added: “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.”
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Mr Lowe said he had been trying to change the way Reform is run “behind the scenes” for many months, and urged his supporters to “stay with the party”.
He said: This is our party as much as it is Nigel’s.”
