Tories give ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe seat on top Commons committee
The Conservatives say they will give former Reform MP Rupert Lowe a seat on an influential House of Commons committee because he “shares our values on reducing waste”.
The MP for Great Yarmouth will take up one of three seats reserved for the Conservative Party on the public accounts committee, which oversees government spending.
Lowe was elected as a Reform UK MP in 2024, but was stood down in March after a major falling out with the party leadership.
The MP said he was “delighted” to be appointed to the committee and would use the “opportunity to directly examine senior public sector figures on how your taxes are spent”.
In a post on social media, Lowe said: “I am acutely aware of how hard British men and women work to pay their taxes, which are an ever-increasing amount.
“As a parliament, we must all approach this issue with the utmost care.
“I have devoted a huge amount of time and energy to cross-party work to deliver a number of important campaigns in Westminster and this is a continuation of that.
“I won’t hesitate to ask awkward questions, I promise you.”
The 16-member public accounts committee, seen as one of the most powerful committees in Westminster, has a Labor majority but is chaired by Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown.
The BBC understands Lowe will replace Biggin Hill MP Peter Fortune, one of two other Conservatives on the committee, so he can focus on supporting his shadow science and technology team and constituents.
This is not the first time the Conservatives have offered MPs from different political views a seat on a parliamentary committee.
Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield, who left Labor following clashes over the party’s stance on women’s and transgender rights, now holds a Conservative seat on the Women and Equalities Committee.
Sammy Wilson, the DUP MP who has expressed skepticism about man-made climate change, occupies one of her seats on the Environmental Audit Committee.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “The Conservatives will work across party lines if it is in the national interest, as Kemi Badenoch demonstrated when she offered to meet Keir Starmer to help deliver appropriate welfare savings through Parliament.
“We want the Public Accounts Committee to do the job of ensuring taxpayers get better value for money from the government, as well as identifying areas where the government is wasting money.
“Having someone on this Committee who runs a business and shares our values of reducing waste will help achieve this goal.”
Since his departure from Reform, many Conservatives have established closer relations with Lowe.
Conservative former cabinet minister Sir Gavin Williamson has joined the advisory board of Restore Britain, the “political movement” founded by Lowe.
Another former Tory minister, Esther McVey, joined the Lowe’s Rape Gang Inquiry panel, investigating gang-based sexual exploitation across the UK.
The investigation continues in parallel The government-backed national investigation into grooming gangs was launched in June.
