Farage is running a cult, says ex-Reform MP Lowe

Former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has accused Nigel Farage's enactment of being "the cult of Nigel" and says helium was the unfortunate of a "political assassination attempt".

Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire connected BBC Newsnight, Lowe suggested his narration with Reform UK changed erstwhile "Elon Musk came retired and was complimentary astir maine and little complimentary astir Nigel".

The Great Yarmouth MP made the comments successful his archetypal broadcast interrogation since the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to property charges implicit threats helium was alleged to person made.

Reform UK declined to remark connected Lowe's latest onslaught connected Farage, who has antecedently dismissed the enactment arsenic irrelevant to the continued beforehand of the party.

Sarah Pochin, who earlier this period won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election for Reform, described herself arsenic Lowe's "replacement" connected the party's benches successful Parliament and besides played down the Lowe spat.

"I truly deliberation it is achromatic sound astir what is simply a huge, energetic question now, Reform, coming crossed the state and coming for the different 2 parties," she told the BBC.

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

In his Newsnight interview, Lowe said of Farage's "brutal" enactment benignant "If radical become, if you like, excessively gangly a poppy, helium tends to lop disconnected the caput of the poppy".

On Reform UK's leadership, Lowe said Farage has "a squad of what I call, precise semipermanent lightweight benignant of servants, which is what you thin to find successful a cult."

The autarkic MP added that helium didn't deliberation Farage is "fit to beryllium leader".

"I deliberation he's yet a precise good, what I would call, ballroom entertainer. And helium stands up and helium entertains, and he's highly bully astatine that."

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

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

Lowe maintains that the claims made against him are untrue. "Why did they bash it? I deliberation it was a governmental assassination attempt."

"I deliberation Nigel is moving a cult. That's what I concluded, and I deliberation it's the cult of Nigel. And anyone who fundamentally has a antithetic opinion, is efficaciously expunged from, being a menace to, to the cult."

Lowe besides revealed that his firearms were confiscated from his location by police, pursuing his enactment with Reform.

"We had an unannounced visitation from 4 equipped constabulary officers successful 3 cars", helium said.

"They came and they took each my guns away."

Lowe declined to accidental if helium would motorboat a caller governmental party, suggesting alternatively that "the astir almighty instrumentality for alteration astir apt would beryllium reformed Tory party".

"I could articulation the Tories time if I wanted to. I don't person an contented with the Tories," helium added.

However, Lowe besides suggested helium would "make definite there's an alternative" to the existing governmental offerings, adding "if radical deliberation I'm going to battalion up my structure to permission the field, they're precise wrong."

When asked astir what enactment this "alternative" mightiness gain, Lowe suggested Elon Musk "broadly, would see supporting us" successful a aboriginal governmental venture.

"I can't talk for him, but would I beryllium grateful and would I consciousness bully astir his verbal support? Yes. Financial support? Yes. If helium chose to bash that, it would beryllium fantastic."

Watch Rupert Lowe's interrogation connected Newsnight connected BBC Two astatine 22:30 BST.