A senior lawyer appointed by Reform UK to independently investigate allegations against MP Rupert Lowe and his team has denied making comments he has attributed to her.
The Great Yarmouth MP was suspended by Reform and referred to the police over accusations he made threats of violence against its chairman.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed they are assessing an allegation of “verbal threats.”
There have also been allegations of bullying in Lowe’s offices, which are being investigated by the lawyer hired by the party.
Lowe strongly denies all the claims, saying “there is no credible evidence against me” and says he is the victim of “a political assassination because I dared to question Nigel Farage”.
Reform removed the whip from Lowe, meaning he now sits as an independent MP.
His suspension came after the Daily Mail published an interview with Lowe where he said Reform under Nigel Farage’s leadership remained a “protest party led by the Messiah”.
The lawyer, a KC or King’s Counsel, who has not been named by the party but whose credentials have been verified by the BBC, said: “I have seen a number of statements made by Mr Lowe MP which are attributed to me and which describe my reactions to the process conducted by the party into the allegations made against both Mr Lowe MP and his constituency manager.
“I find myself in the unfortunate and regrettable position of having to make this statement to correct the record.”
The lawyer added: “I have not expressed either ‘dismay’ or ‘shock’ at any time as to the process. Nor have I said ‘there is zero credible evidence against [Mr Lowe]’, let alone said this ‘repeatedly’.”
On Friday, Lowe took issue with a statement issued by Reform which set out that there would be an independent investigation into what had happened.
‘No credible evidence against me’
He wrote: “I have just spoken to the KC. She is dismayed that this statement has been made, and reiterated that no evidence against me has been sent to her.
“She stated that this has been issued before the investigation has even started.
“She is shocked at the process, shocked at the communication from the party, and shocked that no credible evidence has been given, despite her repeated requests.”
The BBC put the lawyer’s statement to Lowe, who issued his own statement in reply.
“Ever since this malicious attack on my reputation was launched, all I have asked for from both Reform and the KC is credible evidence against me. None has been provided. It still hasn’t,” he said.
“The KC has said she has been ‘chasing’ for that. I have received nothing. Because there is no credible evidence against me.”
He added: “I have spoken with the KC at length, on the phone and through message. I’ve got to know her over the last week, and she has been very helpful, and is a charming lady who is trying to do her job in the very difficult position that Reform has put her in.”
‘You have to stand up to bullies’
He accused the party of an “outright lie” in claiming he had not co-operated with the investigation, a claim Reform made in a statement on Friday evening.
“I have been in discussions with my legal team this afternoon, and this will be followed by legal action in due course,” Lowe told the BBC.
“I will not have my name dragged through the mud as part of a political assassination because I dared to question Nigel Farage. You have to stand up to bullies, and I am doing exactly that.”
He said the lawyer had told him on Friday night: “I advised that you should simply say that the party was precipitous to state that these allegations had been made without also saying that the party has commissioned an independent investigation and the investigation has not yet got underway to look at all the evidence and evaluate its veracity.”
Reform spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe said the row was “temporarily damaging” to the party – but “not damaging in the long term”.
Widdecombe told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: “The fact is all parties have these eruptions from time to time.
“But while the investigations are under way I think we should simply wait until they report, and then we will know where we are.”
