Back to the Reform fallout, which has escalated this afternoon. Now the party’s former MP Rupert Lowe has said he will sue his old party for defamation over what he claims is a ‘concerted smear campaign’ against him. He was suspended in March after party chairman Zia Yusuf and the chief whip Lee Anderson released a joint statement in which said they had referred Rupert Lowe to the police, alleging their ex-colleague had made ‘threats of physical violence’ against Yusuf. The Metropolitan Police has since launched an investigation into the now-independent MP – and Lowe’s gun collection was seized at the start of the month. Crikey!
Lowe has been taking to social media to tweet furiously about the complaint timeline – pointing out that his now-infamous Daily Mail interview in which he criticised the party leadership had been published two days prior. Now he’s gone a step further – and has revealed he is taking legal action against the leadership of his former party. Uh oh…
Posting a statement on social media, Lowe announced:
On 7 March 2025 Lee Anderson and Zia Yusuf signed and published a statement on behalf of Reform UK. Mr Anderson and Mr Yusuf are respectively the party’s chief whip and chairman. The statement falsely alleged, amongst other things, that I had engaged in serious workplace bullying and had made multiple serious threats to physically assault, and injure, Mr Yusuf. The statement was read by millions and has caused serious harm to my reputation. I believe it was published as part of a concerted smear campaign against me after I made comments about the party’s leader Nigel Farage.
I have today instructed my solicitors Brett Wilson LLP to send letters of claim to Reform’s leader and director Nigel Farage, Mr Anderson and Mr Yusuf asserting claims for defamation. I call on the party, Mr Farage, Mr Anderson and Mr Yusuf to do the right thing and retract these false allegations. In the event that they are unwilling to do so it is my intention to issue High Court proceedings. Whilst I have no desire to litigate, I will do what is necessary to ensure my reputation is restored.
Reform UK has not yet issued a comment on the development. Stay tuned…
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