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No-one mentions Reform UK spat, says councillor

Aimee Dexter
BBC News, East of England
Amelia Reynolds
BBC News, East of England
PA Media On the left is Nigel Farage who has grey hair, and is wearing a navy suit, with a pink shirt, and pink and blue tie. On the right is Rupert Lowe, who has grey hair, a grey suit jacket, white shirt, and blue tie. He has glasses around his neck. PA Media
Nigel Farage suspended Rupert Lowe (right) over allegations of making verbal threats and workplace bullying

The public spat between Nigel Farage and one of his sidelined MPs is a "Westminster bubble story" and no-one mentions it on the street, a Reform UK councillor has said.

Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, was suspended from the party over allegations of making verbal threats and workplace bullying.

Essex county councillor Jaymey McIvor admitted the infighting was a distraction but claimed the party was still "united".

Lowe has denied the claims against him.

Speaking to BBC Politics East, McIvor said: "Nigel Farage has been absolutely right; it is an unfortunate distraction that no-one would like to have happened."

McIvor is the only Reform member at Essex County Council - representing Ongar and Rural - having left the Conservative Party last year.

Despite there being no local elections in Essex this year, McIvor said he campaigned every weekend, including most recently in Waltham Abbey.

"Not one person mentioned it to me," he said.

"I believe it is a Westminster bubble story, so everyone is excited about it on Twitter."

He continued: "We absolutely are a united party and I don't buy the suggestion that we're not at all."

McIvor said the party was handling the allegation in a "very professional way".

Jaymey McIvor is pictured from the shoulders upwards. He is wearing a blue suit jacket, a blue shirt, and blue tie. Has has two pins on the left side of the jacket, one is a union jack, and the other is a flag of Ukraine. He has brown hair and beard.
McIvor said no-one had mentioned Lowe or the dispute while campaigning in Waltham Abbey

Terry Jermy, who is the Labour MP for South West Norfolk, was also on the Politics East panel on Sunday and pointed out only five Reform MPs were elected last year.

"And now they are falling out with each other," he said.

"The people I really feel sorry for here are the people of Great Yarmouth and Clacton [which is Farage's constituency in Essex]."

Shaun Whitmore/BBC Terry Jermy is standing in the middle of the picture staring at the camera. He is wearing a navy blue coat, with a red and blue tartan shirt underneath. He has brown hair and a brown beard, and is smiling at the camera.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Jermy said he felt sorry for the constituents of Farage and Lowe

Local elections in the East of England are taking place in Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

Sarah Bool, Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire, admitted that Reform "attracted" attention at the general election.

"What they did is they actually delivered Labour into government," she said.

"They are a protest party - they are very chaotic."

Sarah Bool is standing in the middle of the picture smiling. She has a white blazer on, with a navy top underneath. She has ginger hair, and is wearing a blue rosette with her name on.
Bool said Reform UK delivered a Labour government last year by attracting so much attention

Reform has reported Lowe to police over alleged threats of physical violence against party chairman Zia Yusuf.

The 67-year-old is sitting as an independent MP while an inquiry is carried out.

He said there was "zero credible evidence" against him and claimed he was suspended in response to him previously criticising Farage in an interview.

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