Rupert Lowe has appeared to hint at taking legal action over his suspension from Reform UK as the civil war engulfing the populist party reaches a new juncture.
Just four days after Lowe’s suspension, the Great Yarmouth MP doubled-down on his claim that the allegations of bullying were not directed at him personally.
Taking to social media, Lowe said: “The main staff member involved has confirmed that her allegations are not about me. The second staff member’s allegations are also not about me.”
Lowe, who already claimed the allegations were part of a “vindictive witch hunt” because he asked “awkward questions” of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, added: “Reform must now retract and apologise.”
Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe
PA
The Great Yarmouth MP made the remarks just hours after issuing a statement responding to the KC leading the inquiry into allegations of bullying and threatening behaviour.
The KC had accused Lowe of not telling the truth over his comments about her being “shocked and dismayed” by the investigation process.
Just moments later, Lowe said: “I have been in discussions with my legal team this afternoon, and this will be followed by legal action in due course.
“I will not have my name dragged through the mud as part of a political assassination because I dared to question Nigel Farage. You have to stand up to bullies, and I am doing exactly that.”
However, Reform UK chief whip Lee Anderson this morning urged Lowe against continuing his frequent social media updates.
Nigel Farage broke his silence on the situation over the weekend
PA
Anderson, who stripped Lowe of the whip shortly after the allegations went public on Friday, said: “Setting The Record Straight. The independent KC investigating the allegations has already publicly rebuked Mr Lowe for making false claims.
“As the KC's statement makes clear, the written complaints include allegations about the conduct of Mr Lowe. I ask that Mr Lowe respects the independence of the investigation and refrains from making further false public statements.”
In a bombshell statement released on March 7, Anderson and Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf detailed the allegations made against Lowe.
The letter also confirmed that an alleged threat from Lowe against Yusuf had been reported to the Metropolitan Police the previous day.
Lowe had been informed of the allegations on February 28 but still attended a glitzy dinner for potential donors alongside Reform treasurer Nick Candy on March 6.
Lowe had been informed of the allegations on February 28 but still attended a glitzy dinner for potential donors alongside Reform treasurer Nick Candy on March 6
GETTY
A Reform spokesman said: “Rupert was informed of the independent investigation on February 28. His interview in the Mail appeared seven days later on March 5.”
Breaking his silence on Lowe’s suspension over the weekend, Farage referenced GB News’s story about Lowe allegedly “manhandling” a Labour Minister.
Writing for The Telegraph, the Clacton MP said: “It was the last parliamentary debate of the year. Mr Lowe, who represents Great Yarmouth, asked Mike Kane, the Transport Minister, a question about the MV Ruby, a damaged cargo ship which had docked in his constituency while carrying hundreds of tonnes of the potentially explosive fertiliser ammonium nitrate.
“Mr Lowe was unhappy with the answer that he received from Mr Kane and, at the end of the debate, he crossed the floor to make his feelings known.
“A confrontation ensued. Heated language was heard. The Minister’s shoulder was pushed. In the end, the Serjeant at Arms had to step in to calm things down between the two parliamentarians.
“Commenting on Mr Lowe’s conduct later, Mr Kane told GB News that ‘the anger displayed towards me clearly showed a man not in charge of his own faculties’.”
Rupert LoweGETTYLowe reitered to the People’s Channel that the incident in December was resolved in accordance with parliamentary procedures at the time.
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice later suggested that the door was closed on Lowe being readmitted into the populist party's ranks.
Speaking to Camilla Tominey on GB News, Tice said: “The whip has been withdrawn, and that should be the assumption. We're driving forwards. We're not holding back.
"We've got a job to do. We've got hundreds of seats to win in May. We're not going to be distracted by this noise. And you know what? I don't think the British people will be either."
However, Tice’s predecessor Ben Habib threw his weight behind Lowe after sending a “prescient” text message on February 28.
Speaking to Andrew Pierce and Bev Turner on Britain’s Newsroom, Habib said: "Absolutely. I'm so glad I wrote that text for Rupert because I could see the direction of travel.”
