Ex-Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has not ruled out joining the Conservative Party, suggesting that a reformed Tory Party could be "the most powerful vehicle right now" in British politics.Lowe, who was elected as a Reform UK MP in last year's General Election, was suspended by the populist party amid claims of threats towards Zia Yusuf and allegations of workplace bullying in his office made by two female employees.READ THE FULL STORY HERE
00:00So how are you going to get ahead of the game? What are you going to do next? Are you going to start your own new party?
00:06Well, I told you, Camilla, when we spoke last Thursday, that a reformed Conservative Party would be probably the most powerful vehicle to do that.
00:17So you'd like to join the Tories if they get their act together?
00:20Hang on, you all love jumping in before I finish.
00:23No, so I said, but the problem is, and I did say this to you last week, that the Tory party is dysfunctional at the moment.
00:31It's got too many Lib Dem MPs, which is a legacy of David Cameron's selection processes, which were based on quotas, not on merit.
00:40And people shouldn't be in the House of Commons on anything other than merit.
00:45Any other driver is not right.
00:48So the Tory party has a lot of reforming to do.
00:53And the question is, can they do that?
00:56And you asked me what I'm going to do.
00:58Literally, I was under police investigation until last Wednesday.
01:02As you know, I heard the news that the case had been dropped, which I always thought it would be because I didn't do anything.
01:08But you never know in Britain.
01:09Now there are probably a lot of innocent people languishing in prison, and I intend to sue that.
01:15So one other option is I set up my own party.
01:18I mean, another option would be to rejoin reform.
01:23But number one, you don't win anything with bad people.
01:27And from what Nigel has said, from what Tice has said, from what virtually all the commentators have said,
01:33they wouldn't welcome you back anyway.
01:36So, look, I've got a clean sheet of paper, Camilla, and I'm going to work out what I do.
01:42We haven't got much time.
01:45And it's incredibly important that a lot of thought goes into what happens next.
01:49But put it this way, I'm more intent than ever on delivering the change that I think is necessary if we are to restore Britain to the kind of place which I used to love.
02:03And I think when it's functioning properly like it was when I was growing up, it's the best place in the world to live.
02:09Can I just confirm on the whole kind of reforming Tory offering, have they approached you?
02:15Have you approached them?
02:16Have any discussions taken place between you and other senior Tories?
02:20No, no, no.
02:21But, I mean, I see them all in Parliament.
02:23I was there on Friday.
02:24We were all voting on the assisted dying bill or some amendments to the assisted dying bill.
02:29So I see them.
02:31You know, I get on with them.
02:32You're in a very, very unhealthy, sort of overcrowded place.
02:37And, of course, you bump into each other and, of course, you talk to each other.
02:41And I, as I've said, there are some very able young Tories and there's, I think, some light within their camp.
02:51But I think there's a lot of what I call brambles and overgrowth that's stopping that light coming through and showing what needs to be done.
02:59And until they can change that, Camilla, I don't think the Tories are able to be as powerful as they should be.
03:07In delivering the kind of metamorphosis that Maggie Thatcher did in 1779 after we'd had to witness trade unions having beer and sandwiches in number 10 for about 10 years.
03:20Yes.
03:21And at the same time, making Britain a laughing stock in the world.
03:25How about Ben Habib?
03:27Have you had any conversations with him or, indeed, there are quite a few people who have fallen out with Nigel Farage over the years?
03:33Stephen Wolfe, Catherine Blakelock, Robert Kilroy-Silk and others.
03:39Have you felt like you might want to band together?
