Ex-Reform MP Lowe will not face charges over alleged threats

Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, volition not look transgression charges successful narration to an allegation of threats, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

Lowe was elected arsenic a Reform UK MP successful past year's wide predetermination but was suspended by the enactment successful March, amid claims of threats towards the party's chairman, Zia Yusuf.

Malcolm McHaffie, caput of the CPS, said it made the determination not to property charges "following a thorough and elaborate reappraisal of the evidence".

"Having considered a fig of witnesser statements, we person concluded that determination is insufficient grounds to supply a realistic imaginable of conviction," helium said.

In a connection connected X, Lowe said the Metropolitan Police were dropping their probe into "false allegations" and accused Reform of carrying retired a "brutal smear campaign".

"For the misdeed of asking morganatic questions astir the party's direction, policies and leadership, I was vilified and targeted," helium said.

Lowe, who present sits arsenic an autarkic MP, besides fiercely attacked his erstwhile party's person Nigel Farage, calling him a "a coward and a viper".

Although the CPS connection does not sanction Lowe, the lawsuit relates to an incidental astatine the Palace of Westminster successful December 2024.

Mr McHaffie said: "The Crown Prosecution Service's relation is not to determine whether a idiosyncratic is blameworthy of a transgression offence, but to marque fair, independent, and nonsubjective assessments astir whether it is due to contiguous charges for a transgression tribunal to consider.

"Based connected the cautious information of this evidence, we person decided that our ineligible trial for a transgression prosecution has not been met.

"The determination is besides taxable to the Victim's Right to Review (VRR) strategy which provides a unfortunate oregon their families successful immoderate classes of lawsuit with a specifically designed process to workout the close to reappraisal definite CPS decisions not to commencement a prosecution oregon to halt a prosecution."

Reform reported Lowe to the constabulary connected 6 March implicit claims of threats of carnal unit directed towards Yusuf.

The enactment besides hired a lawyer to analyse allegations of workplace bullying successful his bureau made by 2 pistillate employees.

Lowe denied wrongdoing and said the claims were retaliation aft helium criticised Farage successful an interrogation with the Daily Mail, describing his then-leader's benignant arsenic "messianic".

In her report, the lawyer Jacqueline Perry KC, concluded determination was "credible evidence" Lowe and his unit had mistreated 2 pistillate squad members successful ways that "seem to magnitude to harassment".

She besides said Lowe had failed to "address the alleged toxic conduct" of antheral colleagues successful the office.

Responding to her report, Lowe said the claims were "outright lies" and labelled the process "disgustingly bias".

Reform expelled Lowe from the party, having antecedently suspended him.

One of the women progressive has besides made a ceremonial ailment to the Parliamentary Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.