Rupert Lowe has hit back after his suspension from Reform UK, claiming he was sidelined for being a “tall poppy” who threatened to overshadow Nigel Farage, reported the Independent. Meanwhile, Farage has insisted that Lowe’s removal was due to a “behavioural problem” that had been ongoing for months.
Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, was stripped of the party whip on Friday over allegations about his conduct—claims he strongly denies. Speaking to right-wing commentator Dan Wootton on YouTube, Lowe suggested Farage had a history of falling out with people he viewed as potential rivals.
“You’ve got to look at the pattern of relationships with Nigel,” Lowe said. “Whether it’s Carswell, whether it’s Bloom, whether it’s almost anybody who is, in his view, either threatening him or is capable enough to take over from him, he tends to fall out with them.”
He hinted that he was unlikely to return to Reform UK, though he had no immediate plans to stand down as an MP. Asked whether he might start his own party, he admitted he hadn’t reached that stage yet but didn’t rule anything out.
Lowe also addressed speculation that his fallout with Reform UK could be linked to tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has previously expressed doubts about Farage’s leadership and hinted at supporting Lowe instead.
“I owe a huge debt to Elon Musk because without my X account, which gives me a voice, this may well have ended very differently,” Lowe said. He downplayed his direct contact with Musk, saying their interactions had been limited to “a little bit of DM’ing” and Musk retweeting his posts.
Meanwhile, Farage defended the decision to suspend Lowe, telling GB News that there had been “outbursts, anger, that kind of thing” for months. He stressed he wasn’t “pre-judging” any allegations but insisted that “any party who had a senior figure facing those accusations had to act in some way”.
Reform UK has reported Lowe to the police over alleged “threats of physical violence” against party chairman Zia Yusuf. The party also claimed that two women in Lowe’s office had accused him of “workplace bullying”.
Lowe fiercely denied the allegations, insisting they had “nothing to do with him” and were made by staff members who were themselves facing disciplinary action. He also questioned the timing of the police complaint, which was filed last week despite the alleged incident happening in December.
His suspension comes amid growing tensions within Reform UK, which currently has five MPs. Just before he was removed, Lowe gave an explosive interview to the Daily Mail, where he claimed the party was still a “protest movement led by the Messiah” under Farage.
When asked whether he believed Farage had what it takes to become prime minister, Lowe remained sceptical, saying: “It’s too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods. He can only deliver if he surrounds himself with the right people.” With internal divisions widening and accusations flying, it’s clear that Reform UK is facing one of its biggest crises yet.
