Ousted Reform UK MP Harassed Female Staff, Party Probe Finds

There is “credible evidence” that ousted Reform UK Lawmaker Rupert Lowe and male members of his team unlawfully harassed two women, according to a probe by an independent lawyer commissioned by the party.

“There is veracity in the complaints from both women which amounts ‘credible evidence’ – to use Mr. Lowe’s own words — and these complaints of victimization; constant criticisms; discriminatory behavior do seem to amount to harassment on the part of both Mr. Lowe and his constituency team,” Jacqueline Perry, King’s Counsel, wrote in her report, which was emailed out by Reform on Tuesday. 

Lowe on Tuesday described the claims as “unfounded” in a post on X, and described his staff as “innocent.” He had previously said none of the allegations made by the women, who worked in his parliamentary and constituency office respectively, were actually against him, instead referring to other members of his team. Also in posts on X, he had said he was being forced out of Reform after raising valid concerns about the way the party was being run.

Reform is trying to draw a line under a saga that saw it earlier this month eject one of its only five lawmakers in the House of Commons, citing evidence of workplace bullying as well as threats made to party Chairman Zia Yusuf. The ousting of Lowe, who was touted in January by billionaire Elon Musk as a suitable replacement for party leader Nigel Farage, came a day after he complained in a Daily Mail interview that Farage is “messianic,” calling for the party to change how it operates.

One of the complainants said she had been subjected to criticism from a member of Lowe’s team, but when she raised this with the MP, he made clear that if she didn’t like it, she could “make other arrangements,” according to Perry’s report. This led to her being frozen out and unable to do her job, she said in a statement to the lawyer. 

She was also criticized by Lowe for being “deceitful” after he discovered her employment contract — possibly by mistake — allowed her a three month probationary period, whereas other colleagues had a six month probationary period. 

The second complainant also objected to her treatment by the same member of Lowe’s team. She said she had seen Whatsapp messages from another staff member describing her as “weird,” referencing autism and wanting to “shake her off.”

“I am of the view that there is real risk that the acts complained of, if made out, could well give rise to breaches of the Equality Act 2010,” Perry said in her report.

“Any suggestion from Mr Lowe, as he has made in the media, that these women complained following the instigation of disciplinary proceedings against either of them is incorrect,” the report said. One of the women was fired, while the other resigned before what she described as her “inevitable sacking,” according to Perry.

In a post on X following the publication of the report, Lowe insisted the allegations against him were “unfounded.” Implying the complaints were trivial, he said one of the issues raised against him was that an email had been forwarded to the complainant with “no subject line or context,” and that she felt this was “an incident of rudeness and undermining.”

“Reform is shamefully attacking my innocent staff to smear my name,” he said. “This is not right. It’s unprecedented in modern British politics. Extensive evidence of this is being presented to the Parliamentary authorities, and my own legal teams.”

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