The man who inadvertently lit the fuse between Rupert Lowe and his former party Reform UK has weighed in on the row engulfing the ‘disruptor party’.
Andrew Pierce, GB News presenter, interviewed Great Yarmouth MP Lowe last week for the Daily Mail newspaper, during which Lowe said he wasn't sure if Farage had the right qualities to be Prime Minister.
Lowe said his party leader acted like a ‘messiah’ and questioned whether Reform was serious about being more than just a protest party.
Reform leader Farage hit back immediately, arguing Lowe was ‘completely wrong’, that his personal following was a ‘good thing’, and that Reform is a ‘positive party’.
Rupert Lowe has threatened to sue for libel as Reform civil war reaches new juncture
Getty
But the following day (Friday 7 March) Reform suspended Rupert Lowe citing bullying complaints in his office and physical threats of violence against Party Chairman Zia Yusuf.
A bitter argument has ensued between Lowe and his party with the former arguing his suspension is only because he dared to challenge Farage and that there is zero credible evidence against him.
Reacting, Andrew Pierce said: “Well, who would have thought it? This great row that's tearing apart reform began with an interview I did in my newspaper, the Daily Mail, with Rupert Lowe, last Thursday.
“He raised questions over Nigel Farage's leadership style, his messianic leadership, the question whether he's a team player and whether he has got what it takes to be prime minister.
Zia Yusef on GBN
GB News“Now, not terribly loyal, but is it a hanging offence? With a party of five, he is a very key part of that team.
“Firstly, Nigel Farage suggests perhaps Lowe is motivated by personal ambition. He wants to be prime minister.
“And then they throw the balloon in the air by saying, first of all, they're bringing a case to investigate allegations of bullying in his office. Not by him necessarily, but in his office.
“But the real amazing thing for me is the chairman of the party Zia Yusuf revealing he called the police the day before the day my article appeared over allegations that he was subjected to violent threats by Rupert Lowe in December.
“Why wait three months? It all reeks of a clash of egos and it's bad for Reform. It's really depressing for people who watch TV news and listen to TV news who want Reform to succeed, because this is what the Tories do. They fall out in public.
“This is what Labour will do within a couple of years' time, when they realise this government is not fit for purpose.
“Reform is an insurgent party. They've got a great chance to make a major breakthrough, but somebody needs to knock these heads together because you can't have a party of five and then throw one out and become a party of four. It serves nobody.
“And Nigel Farage needs people like a successful businessman worth 30 million, who employs over 300 people, [Lowe] they're both good in their own way.
“Nigel is the leader. He's the charismatic one. They should sit down and sort it out like grownups, not like a couple of children. That's my view.”
Andrew Pierce wades in on the Reform UK feudGBNReform’s statement
"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.
"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 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."
Lowe claimed Farage struggles to delegate and warned Reform will not win the next election if it continues as a "protest party led by the Messiah"GETTYLowe’s response
In response to the allegations, Mr Lowe said the party leadership had a "complete inability to accept even the mildest constructive criticism without such a malicious reaction".
"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,” said Lowe.
"I have cooperated and spoken at length with the KC they instructed, at great cost to the party, to investigate a minor staff matter.
"Ever since this malicious attack on my reputation was launched, all I have asked for from both Reform and the KC is the credible evidence against me."
This claim has been repeated each day since the accusations were made.
He added: "I will not have my name dragged through the mud as part of a political assassination because I dared to question Nigel Farage."
LATEST FROM MEMBERSHIP:
Rupert Lowe is the now Independent MP for Great YarmouthPAFarage’s response
Responding in the Telegraph and on X, Farage said: "If the last general election taught us anything, it is that the public does not like political parties that engage in constant infighting.”
"Now, thanks to one of our MPs, Rupert Lowe, unloading a barrage of criticisms against our operations and its main actors, that sense of unity has been dented.”
The Reform leader than outlined how Lowe had managed to fall out with nearly all of his colleagues, adding: "We did our best to keep a lid on things but, in the end, containment strategies invariably fail."
He cited a physical altercation between with Labour’s Mike Cane after a row over a toxic cargo ship that docked in his constituency.
Farage continued: "Yet the fact is that, sadly, there have been too many similar outbursts from Mr Lowe, often involving the use of inappropriate language, to the despair of our chief whip, Lee Anderson.
"I have been surprised and saddened at this behaviour."
