A legal investigation into former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has found "credible evidence" that he and his staff mistreated two female employees in ways that "appear to constitute harassment." Jacqueline Perry KC, appointed by Reform UK to investigate complaints raised in February, identified instances of "victimisation, persistent criticism, and discriminatory behavior." Additionally, parliamentary officials have initiated a separate bullying inquiry into Lowe, while the Metropolitan Police is investigating him over alleged threats of "physical violence" against the party's chairman.

Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, denied all accusations, claiming his suspension was a response to his criticism of party leader Nigel Farage. Following the report’s release, Reform UK informed the BBC that Lowe had been expelled from the parliamentary party, and his party membership was in the process of being revoked. Lowe was suspended earlier in the month due to allegations that he had threatened party chairman Zia Yusuf in December. His removal reduces Reform UK's parliamentary presence to four MPs, after securing the third-highest vote share in last year's general election. Farage stated that the findings validated the party’s concerns about Lowe’s conduct and suggested that his return to the party would be highly unlikely given his rejection of the KC’s report.

While most allegations targeted Lowe’s team members, Perry's report noted that complaints were also made directly against Lowe. She concluded that the women’s claims had credibility and that Lowe had neglected to address the toxic workplace culture or act on complaints regarding his male colleagues. One complainant reported receiving "hostility and disdain" from Lowe when voicing concerns. Perry stated that Lowe had a duty to ensure junior staff were not subjected to unfair or discriminatory treatment and warned that his conduct might constitute a breach of the Equality Act.

Her role was not to determine criminal liability but to assess the validity of the claims, their legal implications, and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents. She advised Reform UK to enforce strict compliance with parliamentary rules on bullying and discrimination. Lowe previously alleged that Perry had privately informed him there was "no credible evidence" against him, prompting her to contact the BBC to refute his claim. In response to the report, Lowe reiterated on social media that "there was no bullying," calling the process "disgustingly biased" and the claims against him "outright lies." He insisted that Reform UK was using his staff to tarnish his reputation.

He also alleged that the two complainants only came forward after facing disciplinary action, but the report contradicted this, stating that one of the women lodged her initial complaint about "bullying and unacceptable conduct" in December 2024 and formally reported it to the Parliamentary Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) in January. Both complaints were filed before any disciplinary measures were taken against them. Lowe argued that the investigation only began after he publicly criticized Farage in an interview with the Daily Mail, claiming his suspension, which occurred two days after the interview, was politically motivated.

Despite asserting that he had cooperated with Perry's investigation, the report stated that Lowe had refused to formally respond to the complaints and had publicly declared he would not engage with what he called a "blatantly vexatious" inquiry. Perry had given him until Wednesday to respond to her inquiries, but she did not expect further engagement from him. Reform UK chose to publish the report on Tuesday, a decision that was reportedly not anticipated by Perry.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from BBC.