Reform's Rupert Lowe suspended

Anyone else confused or is it just me?

"Lowe, who was touted as a replacement leader by Elon Musk
The kiss of death for Reform? 🤞

Whatever’s happening with Reform MP’s, I switched on Question Time whilst channel hopping last night ( ( I no longer watch it, one reason being that I got fed up of Farage being on it all the time) and immediately turned it off when I saw that Tice was on the panel. There might not be many of them but they get everywhere.

That’s it then, isn’t it? They have imploded and maybe just as well if they were on such shaky foundations. Whether they can rebuild is a moot point because they do have a lot of support but somehow I doubt it. Many will never trust them again . So - stuck with the old LabCons forever ?

They were always shaky. Thankfully the exposure of finally getting into parliament has exposed them for what they are.

Iam64

I’m getting a bit worried. I’m finding agreement with FGT rather frequently

😁
Obviously more that binds us than divides us these days Iam!
Especially since I’ve ditched Farage and hitched my wagon to Starmer. In hope.

Goodbye Reform and the hideous Farage I feel totally sick when I see his face and hear his voice

But whilst Starmer’s popularity has increased over the last few days, the country still needs an opposition and voices need to be heard. It all feels a bit shambolic?

Who would have thought they'd be so much infighting amongst so few, they're all such lovely fellows!

With only five MPs they should have plenty of capacity to meet and iron out their differences, but I think they are hamstrung by the cult of personality politics, all wanting to be ‘the voice’ of the party.

Implosion.

ronib

Ben Habib is the least pathetic little man in politics at the moment. There are many more worrying world affairs to worry over than this.

I actually like him too.

Much as I loathe the lot of them, Lowe is correct when he criticises the party for not having a front bench i.e. spokepersons on specific areas of government. Obviously with such small nunbers. they would each need to focus on several key areas but at the very least they should have someone to speak on home affairs, foreign affairs, treasury and finance, health and social care, work and pensions, energy security and net zero and, of course, defence. Eight months in and Farage can’t organise four other people or, it seems, even his own constituency. Far too busy selling his snakeoil in the media and in the USA.

We hear a lot from Yusuf about "professionalising", but this is coming from a phone app developer with no practical experience of government and politics and seems to comprise ringfencing Farage with dubious billionaires.

Months after withdrawing its “let’s crash the economy in 100 days” contract as unworkable, where is the new policy? What exactly is it that Reform wants to reform?

Casdon

With only five MPs they should have plenty of capacity to meet and iron out their differences, but I think they are hamstrung by the cult of personality politics, all wanting to be ‘the voice’ of the party.

I think part of of the issue here is none of MPs appear to understand exactly what their roles are as MPs.

They are all brand new to being British Parliamentary MPs, including Farage, and should really have just concentrated on learning their roles, knowing their constituency, voting in the HoC, working tightly together as a new party.

So 5 become 4! Shame

Quite rigorous questioning of Richard Tice by Fiona Bruce on Questiontime last Wed about his Farage comments.. I think they are a splintered group of MP's

ronib

But whilst Starmer’s popularity has increased over the last few days, the country still needs an opposition and voices need to be heard. It all feels a bit shambolic?

I agree, good, strong, opposition is an absolute must!

Cossy

ronib

But whilst Starmer’s popularity has increased over the last few days, the country still needs an opposition and voices need to be heard. It all feels a bit shambolic?

I agree, good, strong, opposition is an absolute must!

I don’t think there is anybody who would disagree. The Lib Dem’s are doing the best in that role at the moment, they seem to have a tight team who are well briefed.

Well there’s some hope with the LibDems just now. I hope they keep improving until the next election. Of course, the Conservatives will benefit once Reform sinks ….

Opportunities lost.

Instead of starting small but forming a coherent strong voice with regular MP meetings and hammer out plans how to effectively work together and build something solid. There was no rush, after all.

The strong personalities clearly started fighting internally - at the same time concentrating outwardly on appearances -recruiting so the numbers looked good.

I dont think Farage is capable of digging in for the long and sometimes tedious haul, I think he has naturally a dramatic limelight seeking personality suiting a campaigner not leader of a parliamentary party. It's happened before, after all.

We "joked" about his frequent partying trips to the USA, but that's got him nowhere whilst tensions built up at home.

Why would anyone need to vote for reform when they can vote for Starmer's party (Reform mark 2). It is reform voters that he wanted to attract and has pitched to suit them. Seems to be working.

*Reform MP Rupert Lowe hits back at party leadership after losing whip

MP accused of threatening party chair says dealing with leadership is like smashing his head against a brick wall*

www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/08/reform-mp-rupert-lowe-hits-back-at-party-leadership-after-losing-whip

"In a post on Saturday morning, Lowe said: “I have been betrayed more times than I care to remember, but never by people I would have called friends. It’s not a very pleasant feeling, to be entirely honest …

He added: “Does requesting regular meetings of MPs make me a monster? Is asking to even just see policy before it’s made public unreasonable? Is it fair to be insulted because I want people to finally talk to each other?

“I have torn out what remaining hair I have left over the last few months trying to talk. That’s it. Just talk. I have tried, and tried, and tried to resolve all of this behind closed doors. I can only smash my head against a brick wall for so long.”

He also asked Farage to “resolve this in a manner that our members and the country would expect”.

“I am going to now repeat publicly an invitation that I have extended to Nigel Farage in private multiple times over many months,” Lowe said.
“Every offer has been refused or ignored. Please, let’s have dinner and resolve this in a manner that our members and the country would expect"

Ilovecheese

Why would anyone need to vote for reform when they can vote for Starmer's party (Reform mark 2). It is reform voters that he wanted to attract and has pitched to suit them. Seems to be working.

Not quite sure what you mean? Labour policies are at odds with Reform. Starmers current rise seems related to Ukraine and his handling of matters.

Certainly all politicians want to reach the disaffected, but Reforms record on matters like Tate, NHS, equal opportunities and even Ukraine are completely at odds with Labour

Wyllow3

Ilovecheese

Why would anyone need to vote for reform when they can vote for Starmer's party (Reform mark 2). It is reform voters that he wanted to attract and has pitched to suit them. Seems to be working.

Not quite sure what you mean? Labour policies are at odds with Reform. Starmers current rise seems related to Ukraine and his handling of matters.

Certainly all politicians want to reach the disaffected, but Reforms record on matters like Tate, NHS, equal opportunities and even Ukraine are completely at odds with Labour

Well, I was confused too but thought I must have missed something.

It was just ‘have a pop at Starmer’ again I think?

Iam64

I’m getting a bit worried. I’m finding agreement with FGT rather frequently

😂😂😂😂

Ilovecheese

Why would anyone need to vote for reform when they can vote for Starmer's party (Reform mark 2). It is reform voters that he wanted to attract and has pitched to suit them. Seems to be working.

Sorry to disagree (& be a bit cheeky) but that’s utter baloney! Starmer and the LP could not be more different from Farage and his Reform Party if they tried.