Reform UK in crisis: ‘If it can’t manage five MPs, how would it manage the government?'
Reform UK has suspended Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe due to allegations he made violent threats against its chairman, and engaged in workplace bullying against female MPs. What does this mean for the increasingly popular right-wing party?
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What’s the story?
Reform UK, which has been surging in opinion polls across the UK, is currently embroiled in drama that has left one of its five MPs, Rupert Lowe, now sitting as an independent representative in the House of Commons.
The Great Yarmouth MP has been suspended from the party, and referred to the police, due to allegations he made violent threats against Reform's chairman, Zia Yusuf. He has also been accused of "workplace bullying" by two female employees – but Lowe has claimed this complaint was not made against him, but someone who worked in his office.
“We don't know who to believe at this stage in all of this.” Jon Sopel says.
Lowe has denied all claims made against him, accusing his colleagues of "political assassination" because he "dared to question Nigel Farage" in an interview with The Daily Mail published on 5 March 2025.
According to Reform, Lowe was made aware of the allegations against him on 28 February 2025.
Rupert Lowe vs Reform: Who’s said what?
Emily Maitlis says the confusion over which came first – the criticism or the complaint – is key to understanding what’s really happening here.
“The timing of this is absolutely crucial to understanding whether there is a witch hunt of Rupert Lowe from the party,” she says.
“It is a very confusing picture right now. Reform are furious and are messaging all of us, saying ‘that's not true, Rupert Lowe is wrong, he's been making things up’.
“Rupert Lowe has been in touch and has said, ‘Don't believe a word that Reform has said’.”
In the days since his suspension was announced, Lowe has shared numerous social media posts protesting his innocence, criticising Reform MPs and calling for the sacking of Yusuf.
“It's worth pointing out that none of them are absolutely white as white or the most innocent people you have ever met,” says Jon Sopel.
“There are an awful lot of claims and counterclaims, and they have been briefing like crazy, and the war has been fought out on Twitter.”
Lowe has also claimed an independent lawyer, hired by Reform to investigate the allegations against him, claimed she was "shocked" at – and said there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
This has prompted her to issue her own statement denying she said either of these things.
"I find myself in the unfortunate and regrettable position of having to make this statement to correct the record," the unnamed lawyer said.
"I have not expressed either 'dismay' or 'shock' at any time as to the process. Nor have I said 'there is zero credible evidence against him', let alone said this 'repeatedly'."
“For a party that is trying desperately to prove its professionalism and its seriousness – it ain't,” says Lewis Goodall.
“The obvious question is – if you can't run five MPs, how on earth would you run 350 MPs or 400 MPs,” says Lewis Goodall.
What’s The News Agents’ take?
In February 2025, Reform topped a YouGov poll of who British people would vote for in a general election for the first time, suggesting the UK could follow the rise of the right wing that has swept much of Europe in recent years.
But a month is a long time in politics, and now – Lewis suggests – Farage and Reform’s support for Donald Trump and previous backing of Vladimir Putin could suggest an uphill battle to maintain this lead.
“Reform is struggling because of things that Farage has said about Putin in the past,” says Lewis.
“Like other populist parties, some of the froth is being taken off the energy that they've had, because suddenly more mainstream parties are doing a little bit better, because there's a feeling that people want the grown ups in charge.”
The biggest impact of this swing away from the right has been seen in Canada, where the left-wing Liberal Party has surged in a matter of weeks, previously facing an election landslide to the Conservative Party of Canada, because of the right-wing party’s staunch support for Trump.
Jon adds that Farage has "clear political ambition" to take Reform into government, but Lowe’s hard-right views could be a stumbling block to achieving that goal.
"You've got to move a tiny bit to the centre to get into government, but Reform’s got people like Rupert Lowe,” says Jon.
“He’s happy to say 'Tommy Robinson may not be my ideal cup of tea, but he's not that bad', or 'we should be looking at the mass deportation of migrants in this country.”