Nigel Farage should consider removing the Reform whip from Rupert Lowe after an act of “defiance”, according to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.
Speaking on GB News, the senior Tory MP was reacting to the Reform MP warning that party figures “have to start behaving as if we are leading and not merely protesting”.
He also branded Nigel a “messiah” who should focus on making Reform a “properly structured party with a front bench”.
Philp told GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope that the challenge has left Nigel with a headache.
“We’ve seen leaders in the past suspend the whip for saying that thing”, he said.
“Nigel Farage I imagine will take a very dim view of it, won’t he? This is open defiance of his leadership by Rupert Lowe.
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“So we will see what Nigel Farage is made of. They’re clearly riven by divisions and Rupert Lowe has admitted that Reform is nothing more than a protest party that doesn’t have the plans needed to fix our country’s very serious problems, including on immigration.”
Philp was challenged on whether the Tories would consider a merger with the populist party that has enjoyed polling success in recent months.
“That’s not our plan”, he said.
“It’s not our intention. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I don’t think it needs to happen either.
“Rupert Lowe has come to the realisation that Reform is a protest party that doesn’t have a plan. He’s come to that realisation pretty quickly because he’s inside it in Parliament every day.
“As the public think about it some more, they’re going to reach the same conclusion that Rupert Lowe has that Reform is divided and it doesn’t have a plan.
“It’s just a protest party.”
Nigel rejected the criticism of his leadership, telling the Telegraph: “It’s difficult to have a front bench with only five MPs, isn’t it? And he’s one of them.
Asked about his delegating skills, he said: “Delegate? I’ve delegated everything.”
He added: “If we had 30 MPs, we’d have a front bench, but with five, we can’t.”
Lowe’s comments were the first instance of a Reform MP breaking ranks since the party won five seats at the General Election in July.
The Great Yarmouth MP has frequently taken to X to air his opinions and has found support in the form of tech mogul Elon Musk, who appeared to tout Lowe as a potential successor to Nigel.
The US billionaire claimed the Reform leader “doesn’t have what it takes” in January after Nigel distanced himself from Tommy Robinson.
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Speaking on GB News, the senior Tory MP was reacting to the Reform MP warning that party figures “have to start behaving as if we are leading and not merely protesting”.
He also branded Nigel a “messiah” who should focus on making Reform a “properly structured party with a front bench”.
Philp told GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope that the challenge has left Nigel with a headache.
“We’ve seen leaders in the past suspend the whip for saying that thing”, he said.
“Nigel Farage I imagine will take a very dim view of it, won’t he? This is open defiance of his leadership by Rupert Lowe.
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“So we will see what Nigel Farage is made of. They’re clearly riven by divisions and Rupert Lowe has admitted that Reform is nothing more than a protest party that doesn’t have the plans needed to fix our country’s very serious problems, including on immigration.”
Philp was challenged on whether the Tories would consider a merger with the populist party that has enjoyed polling success in recent months.
“That’s not our plan”, he said.
“It’s not our intention. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I don’t think it needs to happen either.
“Rupert Lowe has come to the realisation that Reform is a protest party that doesn’t have a plan. He’s come to that realisation pretty quickly because he’s inside it in Parliament every day.
“As the public think about it some more, they’re going to reach the same conclusion that Rupert Lowe has that Reform is divided and it doesn’t have a plan.
“It’s just a protest party.”
Nigel rejected the criticism of his leadership, telling the Telegraph: “It’s difficult to have a front bench with only five MPs, isn’t it? And he’s one of them.
Asked about his delegating skills, he said: “Delegate? I’ve delegated everything.”
He added: “If we had 30 MPs, we’d have a front bench, but with five, we can’t.”
Lowe’s comments were the first instance of a Reform MP breaking ranks since the party won five seats at the General Election in July.
The Great Yarmouth MP has frequently taken to X to air his opinions and has found support in the form of tech mogul Elon Musk, who appeared to tout Lowe as a potential successor to Nigel.
The US billionaire claimed the Reform leader “doesn’t have what it takes” in January after Nigel distanced himself from Tommy Robinson.
Find Out More...