The anti-immigration party led by Nigel Farage said on Friday it had referred one of its lawmakers to the police for allegedly threatening a senior colleague, in the biggest crisis to hit Britain’s insurgent right-wing party since its success in last year’s general election.
In a statement, the party, Reform U.K., said the lawmaker, Rupert Lowe, had been accused of making “threats of physical violence” against Reform’s chairman, Zia Yusuf. The party also said that it was investigating complaints that Mr. Lowe had bullied female staff members, and that it had suspended him.
In a statement posted on social media on Friday, Mr. Lowe, 67, denied the allegations, adding that it was “no surprise” that “vexatious” claims had been lodged after he recently made critical comments about Mr. Farage and the party’s structures.
In recent months, Reform U.K. has surged in opinion polls, overtaking the main opposition Conservative Party and closing in on the governing Labour Party, which is led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
But in the past, parties led by Mr. Farage have proved prone to internal divisions, and the drama on Friday suggested that Reform U.K. could be following the same pattern.
The new, explosive developments appeared to turn on the growing tension between Mr. Lowe, a businessman and the former chairman of Southampton F.C. soccer club, and Mr. Farage, Reform U.K.’s charismatic but divisive leader.
Mr. Farage had campaigned for Brexit and helped the party to win 14 percent of the vote in last year’s general election — propelling it to the forefront of the country’s politics.
Mr. Lowe, who represents Great Yarmouth on the eastern coast of England, has been praised by the technology billionaire Elon Musk, who this year withdrew his support from Mr. Farage and stated that the Reform U.K. leader “does not have what it takes.”
Mr. Musk did not explain his reasoning. But it appeared to be linked to Mr. Farage’s refusal to endorse the billionaire’s demand that a far-right agitator, Tommy Robinson, be released from prison. Mr. Farage has distanced himself from Mr. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and who has several criminal convictions and a history of Islamophobic statements.
Mr. Lowe directly criticized Mr. Farage in a recent interview with The Daily Mail, arguing that Reform U.K. remained a “protest party led by the Messiah” under its leader.
Mr. Farage, asked in a TV interview why he thought Mr. Lowe had made his comments, replied: “Perhaps he wants to be prime minister. Most people in politics do.”
In its statement, Reform U.K. said it had appointed a senior lawyer to investigate the accusations that Mr. Lowe had bullied two female employees in offices in Parliament and in his constituency.
“Evidence was provided to us of workplace bullying, the targeting of female staff who raised concerns, and evidence of derogatory and discriminatory remarks made about women including reference to a perceived disability,” the statement said.
It added, “In addition to these allegations of a disturbing pattern of behavior, Mr. Lowe has on at least two occasions made threats of physical violence against our party chairman. Accordingly, this matter is with the police.”
In his response on social media Mr. Lowe said that the “allegations of physical threats are outrageous and entirely untrue” and that one “staff member in question only raised a vexatious complaint once disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against them for serious wrongdoing.” He also said that “the other individual mentioned dropped her appeal.”
Mr. Lowe suggested that the party’s action was an unwarranted response to his criticism of Mr. Farage and that “a complete inability to accept even the most mild constructive criticism without such a malicious reaction is not effective leadership.”
Reform U.K. denied any link. “The investigation into the very serious allegations was started long before his interview with The Daily Mail,” the party said in a statement.
