No-one mentions Reform UK spat, says councillor

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".

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]."

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."

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.