While Nigel Farage’s Reform party has seen success in the local elections this month, their former MP Rupert Lowe has received a bit of good news himself. It transpires that the Greater Yarmouth politician will not face criminal charges in relation to an allegation of threats towards the party’s chairman Zia Yusuf – with Lowe taking to Twitter to blast the party’s ‘brutal smear campaign’ in a statement on the matter this morning. He’s certainly pulling no punches now…
Lowe was suspended in March after Yusuf and chief whip Lee Anderson announced they had referred their former colleague to the police over ‘threats of physical violence’, while reports emerged that the Met Police had launched an investigation into the parliamentarian. Today, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Malcolm McHaffie said that the CPS made the decision not to press charges after a ‘thorough and detailed review of the evidence’. He added: ‘Having considered a number of witness statements, we have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.’ How interesting…
And Lowe isn’t letting the matter go quietly. Releasing a furious statement to Twitter, he fumed:
This was not normal political infighting. It was a sinister attempt to weaponise the criminal justice system against me – putting not just my political future, but my liberty at risk. All because I dared to raise constructive criticisms of Nigel Farage, stood firm on deporting illegal migrants, and pushed for Reform to be run democratically – not as a vehicle to stroke one man’s ego.
How did Reform respond? With a brutal smear campaign. For the sin of asking legitimate questions about the party’s direction, policies, and leadership, I was vilified and targeted. I am ashamed to have shared a parliamentary platform with them. Ashamed to have trusted them. Ashamed to have called them friends. Farage is no leader – he is a coward and a viper. I feel deeply embarrassed that I ever thought he was the man to lead.
Tell us what you really think, Rupert! He went on:
Please listen when I say this: For the good of our country, Nigel Farage must never be Prime Minister. To the millions of decent Reform supporters – you must do what you believe is right. I, personally, could not remain in an organisation led by such men. They do not deserve your support, your time, your energy, your money, or your vote.
Ouch. Will Reform hit back? Watch this space…
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