A lawyer investigating suspended Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has discovered “credible proof” he and his employees mistreated two feminine group members in ways in which “appear to quantity to harassment”.
Jacqueline Perry KC, employed by Reform to research after complaints had been raised in February, discovered proof of “victimisation, fixed criticisms and discriminatory behaviour”.
Parliamentary officers have launched a separate bullying probe into Lowe. In the meantime, the Met Police is investigating Lowe after Reform accused him of threatening “bodily violence” towards the social gathering’s chairman.
The Nice Yarmouth MP denied the claims and mentioned his suspension was a response to criticising social gathering chief Nigel Farage.
In her report, Ms Perry discovered: “There may be veracity within the complaints from each girls which quantities [to] ‘credible proof'”.
As effectively immediately mistreating employees, Ms Perry mentioned Lowe didn’t “tackle the alleged poisonous conduct” of male colleagues within the workplace, and refused to behave on complaints.
“On the very least Mr Lowe ought to have taken critically the misery and issues,” Ms Perry mentioned.
Lowe had a “responsibility and duty to make sure techniques had been in place to keep away from junior members of employees being handled in any unfair and discriminatory method”, she added.
Concluding her report, Ms Perry mentioned there was a “actual danger” that the alleged remedy might be a breach of the Equality Act.
Ms Perry mentioned her function was to not decide any criminality however to evaluate the “veracity” of the bullying and harassment allegations towards Lowe and his employees, decide any authorized implications, and suggest measures to forestall future incidents”.
