Nigel Farage, the head of the Reform UK party, has cut ties with Rupert Lowe, one of the five MPs within the party, citing that he is a target of a defamation campaign. Multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has been urging Lowe to assume Farage’s position. Is this a mere squall in a saucer or an indication of a bigger rift? The far-right British political party, Reform UK, fronted by Farage, was able to surpass both the Conservatives and the incumbent Labour Party in the political landscape, as indicated by the polls in the early days of 2025.
However, signs of unrest within the party turned evident from the time Farage decided to exclude his co-minister and member of parliament, Rupert Lowe, from his party’s circle last Friday, on the 7th of March. Lowe, an entrepreneur who marked his brief stint as a member of the European Parliament during 2019 and 2020, eventually transitioning into the House of Commons in July 2024. He found himself at the center of accusations imposed by Farage and his close associates.
Lowe has been accused of intimidating actions aimed at Zia Yusuf, the chairman of the Reform UK party. Furthermore, claims of harassment allegations from associates working as part of Lowe’s legislative team have also fallen on Yusuf’s table. Concerns over Lowe’s behaviour have been reported to authorities, marking it a serious affair.
In light of the resulting police investigation that has only recently been triggered, Lowe has dismissed all claims made against him, professing his innocence. He maintains that he is the target of a calculated vilification effort. His dismissal from the Reform UK party was announced shortly after he referred to the party as a ‘protest party’ and its leadership ‘messianic’ in a piece published by the Daily Mail.
He further suggested that Farage better learn the art of delegation, as a centralized approach to governance where everything is channeled through a single person is not the most efficient way to work. As dynamics continue to shift within the party, it remains to be seen how these recent events will impact its trajectory in the coming months.