Rupert Lowe court blow - judge refuses to block watchdog probe

Massive court blow for Rupert Lowe as judge refuses to block watchdog probe

An MP has lost a high-stakes bid to temporarily block the parliamentary watchdog from investigating a complaint against him—a process his own legal team has warned could effectively very likely end his political career.

Reported from court

Bénédict Tarot Freeman

24 February 2026 at 16:01Updated 1 April 2026 at 01:162 min read

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An MP has lost a high-stakes bid to temporarily block the parliamentary watchdog from investigating a complaint against him—a process his own legal team has warned could effectively very likely end his political career.

Rupert Lowe, the independent MP for Great Yarmouth, is pursuing legal action against the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), the body responsible for investigating allegations of bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct within Parliament.

The ICGS is currently investigating a complaint made against Lowe in July 2025 by a third party, whose identity is protected by a strict court anonymity order.

Lowe had applied for an interim injunction to halt the probe ahead of a full judicial review next month, alleging "procedural unfairness, perversity, and illegality" in how the watchdog operates.

His barrister, Christopher Newman, argued that the risk of "unjust harm" arising from a potentially biased process was significant, given the investigation’s power to terminate a Member of Parliament's career.

However, in a ruling delivered at the High Court on Tuesday, Mr Justice Chamberlain dismissed the injunction bid, citing a "strong public interest" in allowing the established complaints process to continue.

The judge stated that the risk of harm to Lowe had been "overstated" and noted it was unlikely the ICGS would publish any findings before a separate hearing on 17 March to determine if the court even has jurisdiction over the matter.

Lawyers for the ICGS successfully argued that the court has no constitutional role in supervising internal parliamentary disciplinary matters, which they contend fall under the umbrella of Parliamentary Privilege.

Lowe, who recently launched his new political party Restore Britain, currently sits as an independent after being suspended from Reform UK in March 2025 following claims of threats made against party chairman Zia Yusuf.