A Reform spokesman has confirmed they have withdrawn the whip from Rupert Lowe after reporting him to the police over alleged “threats of physical violence”. Lowe responds:
“I asked reasonable and constructive questions of Nigel Farage and Reform’s leadership, following months of pushing for progress behind closed doors. The day after, I find a knife in my back over false allegations. Whip suspended. That tells you everything you need to know.”
And then there were four…
UPDATE: Reform’s chief whip Lee Anderson issues a statement:
At Reform UK we have a monumental task on our hands in order to save our country.
There is a huge amount of pressure on Nigel and our team to deliver for the British public. I did not come into politics for personal gain, like my colleagues I stepped forward because I wanted to help save my country.
Joining Reform UK is the best thing I have ever done in politics and this is our last chance to turn things around in our country. But politics is a team game and we must work as a team. I was the first ever Reform UK MP and my first loyalty will always be to my country. I have a great deal of respect for Rupert Lowe and as his Chief Whip I have bent over backwards to be fair with him since he entered Parliament.
But his unwillingness to cooperate in an investigation into his behaviour has meant the Parliamentary party cannot function effectively whilst Rupert is a Reform UK MP.
There is far too much at stake and by not taking decisive action we would risk losing everything we have built up.
I bare no malice towards Rupert and to remove the whip was a deeply painful thing to do, but delivering for our country must come first and no man is bigger than our party.
Lee Anderson
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”