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.
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”.
Read more:
Farage gives up sole control of Reform
Party passes 200,000 members
Reform MP jailed for kicking girlfriend
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.
