‘Right and proper’ to hold investigation after Lowe allegations, says Tice
The Reform UK deputy leader said people would have been ‘raging’ if the matter had been brushed ‘under the carpet’.
It was the “right and proper” decision to hold an independent investigation into allegations of bullying in Rupert Lowe’s offices, the Reform UK deputy leader has said.
Richard Tice said the complaints “have to be dealt with in the proper and responsible way” and suggested that people would have been “raging” if the matter had been brushed “under the carpet”.
Mr Lowe had the Reform whip suspended on Friday and was reported to the police after allegations of threatening violence against the party chairman.
Reform also said it had received evidence of “serious bullying” and “derogatory” remarks made about women in the MP’s offices, with two separate employees said to have made allegations. Mr Lowe has denied the claims.
Mr Tice told Sky News On Sunday: “You have to make difficult judgments through the process. But of course it’s unfortunate, of course it’s difficult, but these allegations of bullying by two separate female members of staff to the parliamentary authorities, those clearly have to be dealt with in the proper and responsible way.”
In their statement on Friday, Reform said that an independent KC had been appointed to look into the bullying claims, while the allegations relating to the party chairman were with the police.
Mr Tice added: “We’ve also got a duty of care as a party, whether people are employed directly or indirectly. So, that’s why the chairman has instructed an independent investigation by a KC, that’s the right and proper thing to do. That will run its course.
“But imagine if we hadn’t been open and transparent about this. Imagine if we’d tried to brush it under the carpet and in some way cover it up, and then it came out at a future time. Everyone would have been raging.”
Mr Lowe said on Sunday that the issues raised in Reform’s original Friday statement “and more” was with his legal team.
It comes after Nigel Farage said that the public “does not like political parties that engage in constant infighting”.
Writing for the Telegraph, Mr Farage said he was “acutely aware” that the “never-ending civil war that came to define the last Conservative government” had contributed to Labour’s majority.
Mr Farage added: “Reform UK matters more now than it has ever done before.
“That is why it is so important that our party – and every single one of its representatives – behaves responsibly at all times. Nothing less will do.”
In the same piece, Mr Farage said Reform had “a duty of care to every single member of staff” and the chairman was “entirely right” to appoint a KC to “conduct an independent inquiry” into the bullying complaints.
“It is inconceivable that we could simply ignore such allegations,” Mr Farage added.
Splits in the party appeared on Thursday after Mr Lowe told the Daily Mail that Reform remained a “protest party led by the messiah” under Mr Farage.
Asked whether the former Ukip leader had the potential to become prime minister, as his supporters have suggested, Mr Lowe said: “It’s too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods. He can only deliver if he surrounds himself with the right people.”
Mr Lowe was one of five people elected as a Reform MP at the general election in July.
