PA MediaA senior lawyer appointed by Reform UK to independently examine allegations towards MP Rupert Lowe and his staff has denied making feedback he has attributed to her.
The Nice Yarmouth MP was suspended by Reform and referred to the police over accusations he made threats of violence towards its chairman.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed they’re assessing an allegation of “verbal threats.”
There have additionally been allegations of bullying in Lowe’s places of work, that are being investigated by the lawyer employed by the get together.
Lowe strongly denies all of the claims, saying “there is no such thing as a credible proof towards me” and says he’s the sufferer of “a political assassination as a result of I dared to query Nigel Farage”.
Reform eliminated the whip from Lowe, which means he now sits as an impartial MP.
His suspension got here after the Daily Mail printed an interview with Lowe the place he mentioned Reform below Nigel Farage’s management remained a “protest get together led by the Messiah”.
The lawyer, a KC or King’s Counsel, who has not been named by the get together however whose credentials have been verified by the BBC, mentioned: “I’ve seen a lot of statements made by Mr Lowe MP that are attributed to me and which describe my reactions to the method performed by the get together into the allegations made towards each Mr Lowe MP and his constituency supervisor.
“I discover myself within the unlucky and regrettable place of getting to make this assertion to right the file.”
The lawyer added: “I’ve not expressed both ‘dismay’ or ‘shock’ at any time as to the method. Nor have I mentioned ‘there’s zero credible proof towards [Mr Lowe]’, not to mention mentioned this ‘repeatedly’.”
On Friday, Lowe took subject with a press release issued by Reform which set out that there could be an impartial investigation into what had occurred.
‘No credible proof towards me’
He wrote: “I’ve simply spoken to the KC. She is dismayed that this assertion has been made, and reiterated that no proof towards me has been despatched to her.
“She said that this has been issued earlier than the investigation has even began.
“She is shocked on the course of, shocked on the communication from the get together, and shocked that no credible proof has been given, regardless of her repeated requests.”
The BBC put the lawyer’s assertion to Lowe, who issued his personal assertion in reply.
“Ever since this malicious assault on my popularity was launched, all I’ve requested for from each Reform and the KC is credible proof towards me. None has been supplied. It nonetheless hasn’t,” he mentioned.
“The KC has mentioned she has been ‘chasing’ for that. I’ve obtained nothing. As a result of there is no such thing as a credible proof towards me.”
He added: “I’ve spoken with the KC at size, on the cellphone and thru message. I’ve acquired to know her during the last week, and she or he has been very useful, and is an enthralling woman who’s making an attempt to do her job within the very tough place that Reform has put her in.”
‘You need to stand as much as bullies’
He accused the get together of an “outright lie” in claiming he had not co-operated with the investigation, a declare Reform made in a press release on Friday night.
“I’ve been in discussions with my authorized staff this afternoon, and this shall be adopted by authorized motion in the end,” Lowe advised the BBC.
“I can’t have my identify dragged via the mud as a part of a political assassination as a result of I dared to query Nigel Farage. You need to stand as much as bullies, and I’m doing precisely that.”
He mentioned the lawyer had advised him on Friday night time: “I suggested that you must merely say that the get together was precipitous to state that these allegations had been made with out additionally saying that the get together has commissioned an impartial investigation and the investigation has not but acquired underway to have a look at all of the proof and consider its veracity.”
Reform spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe mentioned the row was “briefly damaging” to the get together – however “not damaging in the long run”.
Widdecombe advised BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: “The actual fact is all events have these eruptions sometimes.
“However whereas the investigations are below approach I feel we must always merely wait till they report, after which we’ll know the place we’re.”
