Farage hits back at Reform MP's leadership criticism

Nigel Farage has hit back at one of his own MPs after he said Reform UK remains a "protest party led by the Messiah" under his leadership.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe questioned Farage's approach to leading the party and said he would need the "right people" around him to "deliver the goods".

Responding in an interview on TalkTV, Farage said Lowe was "completely wrong".

Farage added that Reform UK was a "positive party" - and insisted his loyal following was a "good thing".

"We've got a lot of development to do, but we're absolutely not a protest party," Farage told the programme.

When asked why Lowe had gone public with his remarks, Farage said: "Perhaps he wants to be prime minister. Most people in politics do."

He added: "His comments are wrong, we are making gigantic strides."

Reform UK won five seats in last year's general election and more than four million votes, the third-largest vote share of any party.

Lowe's comments are the first example of a Reform UK MP appearing to openly criticise Farage since the general election last July.

When asked about Farage's potential to become prime minister, Lowe told the Daily Mail: "It's too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods. He can only deliver if he surrounds himself with the right people.

"Nigel is a fiercely independent individual and is extremely good at what we have done so far. He has got messianic qualities. Will those messianic qualities distill into sage leadership? I don't know."

Lowe also suggested he could leave Reform UK if the party did not change before the next general election.

Lowe said: "We have to change from being a protest party led by the Messiah into being a properly structured party with a frontbench, which we don't have. We have to start behaving as if we are leading and not merely protesting."

On TalkTV, Farage was asked if Lowe would be a Reform UK MP at the next election.

Farage said: "I hope so, but he seems to be taking a tone that says he might not accept us, but there you are."

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the "internecine warfare at the top of Reform just goes to show that their MPs are more concerned with their own egos, and advancing their personal ambitions, rather than standing up for the British people".

He said the row showed Reform is "not serious, and will always put self-interest above our national interest".

The Great Yarmouth MP has been outspoken on social media and in January, American businessman Elon Musk appeared to tout Lowe as a potential successor to Farage.

The US billionaire said Farage did not "have what it takes", after the Reform UK leader distanced himself from far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.