During Question Time, Fiona Bruce took the opportunity to interrogate Reform Party’s Richard Tice about fellow party MP Rupert Lowe’s jibe at chief Nigel Farage
Richard Tice squirmed under questions about the Reform Party’s vicious civil war last night.
The MP for Boston and Skegness was grilled on Question Time on BBC One with Fiona Bruce stopping regular proceedings to address the issue. His fellow party MP Rupert Lowe had accused Nigel Farage of acting like a “messiah,” a spat which was seized upon by the Tories on Thursday.
Ms Bruce asked Mr Tice: “Why do you think one of your five MPs is not sure if Nigel Farage has what it takes to be prime minister?” The presenter was unimpressed with the politician’s bluster, which she said was “not remotely answering the question”.
So the no-nonsense host tried again, saying: “There’s not loads of you. One of your five MPs – so 20 per cent of your MPs – is saying he is not sure Nigel Farage has what it takes to be prime minister. What is your response to that?”
And Mr Tice, who later in the programme was warned by Ms Bruce to stop interrupting the other guests, finally suggested Ms Bruce should “ask Rupert” about his remarks as the exchange got heated.
“At the end of the day, I think Nigel is doing a great job. We are growing in the polls and that’s because people trust us with the right policies to create growth. You can’t spend your way out of a crisis,” the 60-year-old MP and former entrepreneur said as audience members smirked.
Mr Tice struggled to hide his own wry smile as Ms Bruce hit back with: “Do you think Rupert Lowe shouldn’t be an MP then? He doesn’t think Nigel Farage has what it takes.”
At this point, the politician defended Mr Lowe but condeded he “wouldn’t make those comments” about the leader of his party. The fierce exchange came after Mr Farage had himself hit back at the criticism. The outspoken politician, who in 2018 co-founded the Brexit Party which later became Reform, told Talk TV: “Perhaps he (Mr Lowe) wants to be Prime Minister.”
But Mr Lowe, a former Southampton FC chairman, actually hinted he may walk away at the next election, having only been voted in as MP for Great Yarmouth in July last year.
