Suspended Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, who allegedly threatened violence, invites Nigel Farage to dinner
Rupert Lowe has invited Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to “have dinner” with him following allegations that the MP threatened violence towards party chairman Zia Yusuf.
Reform reported the Great Yarmouth MP to police after the party said it had received evidence of “serious bullying” and “derogatory” remarks made about women in the MP’s office, with two separate staff members understood to have made allegations.
Scotland Yard said a complaint of “verbal threats” made on Thursday about an alleged incident last December was being assessed by officers.
Rupert Lowe. File pic: PA
In a message on X on Saturday morning, Mr Lowe said: “I can only smash my head against a brick wall for so long.”
He urged party leader Mr Farage to “resolve this in a manner that our members and the country would expect”.
“I am going to now repeat publicly an invitation that I have extended to Nigel Farage in private multiple times over many months. Every offer has been refused or ignored.
“Please, let’s have dinner and resolve this in a manner that our members and the country would expect.”
In the Reform statement released on Friday afternoon, Mr Lowe was accused of having “on at least two occasions made threats of physical violence” to Mr Yusuf.
The party also confirmed that the MP had lost the whip.
Mr Lowe, 67, denied Reform’s claims, describing the statement as “vexatious” and saying the complaint to police “obviously went in just after I asked reasonable questions of Reform’s leadership”.
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It comes after internal battles within the right-wing party, which had five MPs, escalated on Thursday after Mr Lowe told the Daily Mail that Reform remains a “protest party led by the Messiah” under Mr Farage.
Asked whether the former UKIP leader had the potential to become prime minister, Mr Lowe said: “It’s too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods.
“He can only deliver if he surrounds himself with the right people.”
On Friday, Mr Lowe alleged the timing of the complaint was a “malicious attempt to drag my name through the mud”.
“A complete inability to accept even the most mild constructive criticism without such a malicious reaction is not effective leadership,” he said.
The UK has re-established diplomatic ties with Syria, David Lammy has said, as he made the first visit to the country by a British minister for 14 years.
The foreign secretary visited Damascus and met with interim president Ahmed al Sharaa, also the leader of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and foreign minister Asaad al Shaibani.
It marks the latest diplomatic move since Bashar al Assad’s regime was toppled by rebel groups led by HTS in December.
In a statement, Mr Lammy said a “stable Syria is in the UK’s interests” and added: “I’ve seen first-hand the remarkable progress Syrians have made in rebuilding their lives and their country.
“After over a decade of conflict, there is renewed hope for the Syrian people.
“The UK is re-establishing diplomatic relations because it is in our interests to support the new government to deliver their commitment to build a stable, more secure and prosperous future for all Syrians.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy with Syria’s interim president Ahmed al Sharaa in Damascus. Pic: X / @DavidLammy
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also announced a £94.5m support package for urgent humanitarian aid and to support the country’s long-term recovery, after a number of British sanctions against the country were lifted in April.
While HTS is still classified as a proscribed terror group, Sir Keir Starmer said last year that it could be removed from the list.
The Syrian president’s office also said on Saturday that the president and Mr Lammy discussed co-operation, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East.
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Since Assad fled Syria in December, a transitional government headed by Mr al Sharaa was announced in March and a number of western countries have restored ties.
In May, US President Donald Trump said the United States would lift long-standing sanctions on Syria and normalise relations during a speech at the US-Saudi investment conference.
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From May: Trump says US will end sanctions for Syria
He said he wanted to give the country “a chance at peace” and added: “There is a new government that will hopefully succeed.
“I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special.”
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