Rupert Lowe accused of 'manhandling' Labour Minister before being 'restrained' by Richard Tice in Commons chaos

WATCH NOW: Reform UK member 'depressed' after Rupert Lowe suspension -

GB News
Susanna Siddell

By Susanna Siddell


Published: 08/03/2025

- 09:30

Updated: 08/03/2025

- 11:27

The Great Yarmouth MP had the whip suspended yesterday

Rupert Lowe has been accused of "manhandling" a Labour Minister before being restrained by Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice.

The Labour MP alleged that the incident took place in the Commons last December.


Discussing the incident to GB News, the MP claimed: "The anger displayed towards me clearly showed a man not in charge of his own faculties."

The Sergeant at Arms was eventually forced to intervene to break up the ruckus.

PA

In response to the allegations, Lowe told the People's Channel: “This matter was dealt with at the time, and both parties, with the Speaker, agreed to move on. This was handled in line with Parliamentary procedure. The event took place in December, and was resolved soon after.

"It was a heated exchange, over an issue in my constituency that potentially put thousands of lives at risk.

"The timing of this complaint is no surprise. I am being subjected to a malicious witch hunt."

A Reform UK spokesman also said: “This is part of a pattern of disturbing behaviour by Mr Lowe.

“The focus should now be on the women at the heart of this and the alleged ordeal they had to go through."

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However, the latest accusation comes after Lowe was suspended by Reform UK last night following allegations of "serious bullying" and making "two threats of physical violence".

Such complaints have included allegations of making derogatory comments about women as well as threats of physical violence to the party chairman, Zia Yusuf, which is now being investigated by the Met Police.

After he received advice from the populist party's independent King's Counsel, Lowe said: "The Party was precipitous to state that these allegations had been made without also saying that the Party has commissioned an independent investigation and the investigation has not yet got underway to look at all the evidence and evaluate its veracity."

Yesterday, Farage's chief whip Lee Anderson and Yusuf released a statement which alleged that Lowe is "yet to cooperate" with the investigation "to date".

Lowe's suspension comes just days after the the Great Yarmouth MP speculated about his leader's suitability for No10 when the next General Election rolls around.

House of Commons (Stock)

PA

Lowe said: "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."

In a bombshell interview with The Daily Mail, Lowe said: “It’s too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods.”

He also warned that Reform would not win the next election if it stays as a "protest party led by the Messiah".

In response, Farage fired back, telling The Sun: “We are not a protest party in any way at all.

"That is utterly wrong, utterly, completely wrong. We are an entirely positive party."