When he was elected as one of five Reform UK MPs in July 2024, I suggested Rupert Lowe was Britain’s Caesar-in-waiting. A year later, Lowe has joked that blades have been embedded into his back by Nigel Farage.
In March, the now-independent MP fought off an attempt to besmirch his reputation with workplace bullying allegations — based on the same Equality Act that Reform have promised to “axe”. He was then cleared of a bogus police investigation concocted by former party Chairman, Zia Yusuf, which saw his farmhouse raided by the police, and his firearms confiscated and carted off in a wheelbarrow.
He is now launching legal proceedings against his former colleagues, after Reform insinuated he had dementia, and dragged his staff into the bitter battle. Even those who have supported the party and see its potential regard this as shameful.
Perhaps Lowe is more Cincinnatus than Rubicon-crossing dictator: a patrician who retired to a life of farming, only to be summoned from his plough to assume the highest office of state, and renounce power once he saved his nation. The 67-year-old grandfather would certainly rather be cultivating his crops in Oxfordshire. But he gave up a quiet retirement and committed himself to public service.
Before his exile, he was responsible for half of Reform’s total Parliamentary activity. Unlike most who seek to prolong problems to profit from them, Lowe donates his entire Parliamentary salary to charity. Despite being the most successful Parliamentarian on social media, he remains an eligible political divorcé. Lowe refused to join Kilroy Silk, Steven Woolfe, Ben Habib, and everyone else who fell out with, in the great political career graveyard in the sky. Everyone is wondering where he will go next.
I had the privilege of interviewing the farmer turned elder-statesman last week.
We discussed the prosecution of Hamit Coskun, the man attacked for burning a Quran in protest outside the Turkish Embassy in London. “We should not have any blasphemy laws,” Lowe insisted, parting from his political hero Oliver Cromwell, who introduced them in 1650. “I don’t think any religion should be singled out for special treatment.” Lowe put forward a motion in Parliament “recognising that in a free society, no religion or belief system, including Islam, should be immune from criticism, debate, satire or offence.” To date, only five other MPs have signed it. I suggest more should find their spine while there’s still time.
On other matters of free speech:
Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Tomlinson Talks to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
