Reform UK has suspended MP Rupert Lowe and referred him to police, alleging he has made “threats of physical violence” against party chairman Zia Yusuf.
In a statement with chief whip Lee Anderson, Yusuf also said the party had received allegations of bullying in Lowe’s parliamentary and constituency offices.
He added the party had appointed a lawyer to conduct an investigation into allegations of “workplace bullying” made by two female employees.
Writing on social media, Lowe said the party’s allegations were “untrue and false” and he was “disappointed, but not surprised” to read them.
He added there was “zero credible evidence” against him and he was “seeking legal advice immediately”.
In the statement, the party said it had appointed a KC, a senior lawyer, to investigate allegations of bullying in Lowe’s offices.
The statement added: “In addition to these allegations of a disturbing pattern of behaviour, Mr Lowe has on at least two occasions made threats of physical violence against our party chairman. Accordingly, this matter is with the police.”
Lowe said it was “no surprise” that the party’s “vexatious statement” had been released the day after he had criticised party leader Nigel Farage.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Lowe said the party remained a “protest party led by the Messiah” under Farage’s leadership.
Lowe also suggested he could leave Reform UK if the party did not change before the next general election.
The MP said: “We have to change from being a protest party led by the Messiah into being a properly structured party with a frontbench, which we don’t have. We have to start behaving as if we are leading and not merely protesting.”
Farage then hit back in a later interview, saying Lowe was “completely wrong” and Reform UK was “absolutely not a protest party”.
Around an hour after the party’s initial statement, a spokesman for Reform UK confirmed it had withdrawn the party whip from him, meaning he will not sit as part of the party’s group in Parliament and becomes an independent MP.
In response, Lowe said the suspension of the whip was a “knife in my back over false allegations”.
A Reform UK source denied the announcement of its investigation was connected to the public spat between Lowe and Farage.
Reform UK, the successor to Mr Farage’s Brexit Party, had five MPs elected to the Commons at last year’s general election.
