Reform UK's Rupert Lowe has said it is "too early to know" whether Nigel Farage will be a good Prime Minister in a series of unprecedented remarks about his own party leader.
Lowe, who had sat in the European Parliament under Farage in the Brexit Party, warned the Mail it was "too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods" - and "can only deliver if he surrounds himself with the right people".
Since January's re-emergence of Britain's grooming gangs fury, the Great Yarmouth MP has received the backing of tech tycoon Elon Musk.
The Tesla magnate-turned Donald Trump ally said: "I have not met Rupert Lowe, but his statements online that I have read make a lot of sense."
Lowe has now admitted that he is "in the betting to be the next Prime Minister" - but added: "I don't know where this has come from."
And in a further shot at his leader, he warned: "I'm not going to be by Nigel's side at the next election unless we have a proper plan to change the way we govern from top to bottom.
"We can't raise the hopes of people who are so frustrated with the way we are governed and then flunk it."
He continued: "We have to change from being a protest party led by the Messiah into being a properly structured party with a frontbench, which we don't have.
INSIDE REFORM UK - READ MORE:
"We have to start behaving as if we are leading - and not merely protesting.
"Nigel is a messianic figure who is at the core of everything but he has to learn to delegate, as not everything can go through one person.
"We have to start developing policy which is going to change the way we govern."
"Will those messianic qualities distil into sage leadership? I don't know," he jabbed.
The outspoken MP also hinted that he could stake claim to a future leadership position.
"I am a bit like the one-eyed man in the land of the blind," he said. "But, funnily enough, the one-eyed man is usually in charge in the end in the land of the blind."
Find Out More...
Lowe, who had sat in the European Parliament under Farage in the Brexit Party, warned the Mail it was "too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods" - and "can only deliver if he surrounds himself with the right people".
Since January's re-emergence of Britain's grooming gangs fury, the Great Yarmouth MP has received the backing of tech tycoon Elon Musk.
The Tesla magnate-turned Donald Trump ally said: "I have not met Rupert Lowe, but his statements online that I have read make a lot of sense."
Lowe has now admitted that he is "in the betting to be the next Prime Minister" - but added: "I don't know where this has come from."
And in a further shot at his leader, he warned: "I'm not going to be by Nigel's side at the next election unless we have a proper plan to change the way we govern from top to bottom.
"We can't raise the hopes of people who are so frustrated with the way we are governed and then flunk it."
He continued: "We have to change from being a protest party led by the Messiah into being a properly structured party with a frontbench, which we don't have.
INSIDE REFORM UK - READ MORE:
- Reform launches campaign against 'sucker-punch' MP as Farage plots to snatch Labour heartland
- The Brexit victory NO ONE is talking about - and why Reform insiders see it as Farage's catapult into No10
- Marco Longhi's switch to Reform UK was 'strategically motivated', rival candidate claims, as Farage's defectors spark 'Tory 2.0' fears
"We have to start behaving as if we are leading - and not merely protesting.
"Nigel is a messianic figure who is at the core of everything but he has to learn to delegate, as not everything can go through one person.
"We have to start developing policy which is going to change the way we govern."
"Will those messianic qualities distil into sage leadership? I don't know," he jabbed.
The outspoken MP also hinted that he could stake claim to a future leadership position.
"I am a bit like the one-eyed man in the land of the blind," he said. "But, funnily enough, the one-eyed man is usually in charge in the end in the land of the blind."
Find Out More...