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Rupert Lowe
Rupert James Graham Lowe (/ˈruːpət ˈloʊ/; born 31 October 1957) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Yarmouth since 2024. Elected for Reform UK, he now sits as an independent following the suspension of the party whip in March 2025. He was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands from 2019 to 2020. He founded the political organisation Restore Britain, which has been described as right-wing or far-right, in June 2025 and currently serves as its leader.
Before entering politics, Lowe worked in business and was the chairman of Southampton Football Club. He led the club from 1996 to 2006. Returning in 2008, his second tenure ended in 2009 when it entered administration. At the 2019 European Parliament election, Lowe was elected as an MEP for the West Midlands, representing the Brexit Party, which later became Reform UK. He held this role until the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) in 2020. Lowe entered the House of Commons at the 2024 general election as MP for Great Yarmouth and was appointed Reform UK's Business and Agriculture Spokesman. In March 2025 he had the whip suspended due to legal accusations, days after criticising Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Rupert James Graham Lowe was born on 31 October 1957 in Oxford. He was educated at Radley College, an all-boys independent boarding school, and the University of Reading. He then worked in the City of London for companies such as Morgan Grenfell, Deutsche Bank and Barings Bank. He was also a board member of the London International Financial Futures Exchange. He founded Secure Retirements, a quoted care home provider, with Andrew Cowen, later the Southampton F.C. vice-chairman.
In the mid-1990s the Southampton board were looking to float the club on the London Stock Exchange, a long and costly procedure. Therefore, they attempted a reverse takeover as a way to reduce costs. They needed to find a company that had already floated and take it over while effectively being taken over themselves. Lowe's Secure Retirements, which ran nursing homes, was identified as a candidate. The resultant group was renamed Southampton Leisure Holdings. After the deal was completed, Lowe became chairman of the club.
In the summer of 1997 Southampton's manager, Graeme Souness, left after just one season in charge, as did the director of football and former manager Lawrie McMenemy. This came as a shock to the local press,[which?] who regarded McMenemy as 'Mr Southampton'; he had previously managed the club from 1973 to 1985, guiding it to FA Cup success in 1976 and finishing second in the league in 1984.[citation needed] Lowe guided the club from their old stadium into the 32,000-seater St Mary's Stadium, which opened in 2001, and the club continued to follow a long-standing policy of selling players for high prices. Players such as Dean Richards and Kevin Davies were sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £8 million and Blackburn Rovers for £7 million, respectively.
During his ownership of the club, the Saints maintained their Premier League status into the 21st century, despite having been in regular relegation battles since the early 1990s. There were eight managers during his tenure. Dave Jones was put on "gardening leave" in January 2000 amid a criminal investigation, though he was later cleared of all charges. Jones was succeeded by Glenn Hoddle, who left just over a year later to join Tottenham Hotspur. Lowe then appointed Stuart Gray, but Gray was swiftly replaced by Gordon Strachan after a poor start to the 2001–02 season. Strachan guided the Saints to a secure 11th-place finish.
In 2003 Southampton reached the FA Cup Final and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in nearly 20 years, also finishing eighth in the league; their highest finish for well over a decade. Strachan resigned in February 2004, and Lowe and the board took the decision to replace him with Paul Sturrock before the end of the season. Sturrock himself left the club by "mutual consent" within six months, despite achieving good results during his time in charge. It was alleged that Lowe attempted to interfere in team selection after consulting the former head coach of the England national rugby union team Clive Woodward, who was being approached about a possible role at the club at the time.
Lowe appointed Harry Redknapp manager of Southampton in December 2004. Redknapp had quit as manager of Southampton's south-coast rivals Portsmouth two weeks earlier. Southampton were relegated in 2005 and Lowe appointed Woodward as Director of Football of Southampton in July 2005. Redknapp resigned as manager in December 2005 and subsequently rejoined Portsmouth. Lowe won a libel case against The Times in 2005, relating to a column by the sportswriter Martin Samuel, who alleged that Lowe had treated Jones "shabbily" following the latter's suspension after he was accused of child abuse charges on which he was ultimately acquitted. Lowe was awarded £250,000, which he pledged to donate to charity.
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Rupert Lowe
Rupert James Graham Lowe (/ˈruːpət ˈloʊ/; born 31 October 1957) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Yarmouth since 2024. Elected for Reform UK, he now sits as an independent following the suspension of the party whip in March 2025. He was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands from 2019 to 2020. He founded the political organisation Restore Britain, which has been described as right-wing or far-right, in June 2025 and currently serves as its leader.
Before entering politics, Lowe worked in business and was the chairman of Southampton Football Club. He led the club from 1996 to 2006. Returning in 2008, his second tenure ended in 2009 when it entered administration. At the 2019 European Parliament election, Lowe was elected as an MEP for the West Midlands, representing the Brexit Party, which later became Reform UK. He held this role until the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) in 2020. Lowe entered the House of Commons at the 2024 general election as MP for Great Yarmouth and was appointed Reform UK's Business and Agriculture Spokesman. In March 2025 he had the whip suspended due to legal accusations, days after criticising Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Rupert James Graham Lowe was born on 31 October 1957 in Oxford. He was educated at Radley College, an all-boys independent boarding school, and the University of Reading. He then worked in the City of London for companies such as Morgan Grenfell, Deutsche Bank and Barings Bank. He was also a board member of the London International Financial Futures Exchange. He founded Secure Retirements, a quoted care home provider, with Andrew Cowen, later the Southampton F.C. vice-chairman.
In the mid-1990s the Southampton board were looking to float the club on the London Stock Exchange, a long and costly procedure. Therefore, they attempted a reverse takeover as a way to reduce costs. They needed to find a company that had already floated and take it over while effectively being taken over themselves. Lowe's Secure Retirements, which ran nursing homes, was identified as a candidate. The resultant group was renamed Southampton Leisure Holdings. After the deal was completed, Lowe became chairman of the club.
In the summer of 1997 Southampton's manager, Graeme Souness, left after just one season in charge, as did the director of football and former manager Lawrie McMenemy. This came as a shock to the local press,[which?] who regarded McMenemy as 'Mr Southampton'; he had previously managed the club from 1973 to 1985, guiding it to FA Cup success in 1976 and finishing second in the league in 1984.[citation needed] Lowe guided the club from their old stadium into the 32,000-seater St Mary's Stadium, which opened in 2001, and the club continued to follow a long-standing policy of selling players for high prices. Players such as Dean Richards and Kevin Davies were sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £8 million and Blackburn Rovers for £7 million, respectively.
During his ownership of the club, the Saints maintained their Premier League status into the 21st century, despite having been in regular relegation battles since the early 1990s. There were eight managers during his tenure. Dave Jones was put on "gardening leave" in January 2000 amid a criminal investigation, though he was later cleared of all charges. Jones was succeeded by Glenn Hoddle, who left just over a year later to join Tottenham Hotspur. Lowe then appointed Stuart Gray, but Gray was swiftly replaced by Gordon Strachan after a poor start to the 2001–02 season. Strachan guided the Saints to a secure 11th-place finish.
In 2003 Southampton reached the FA Cup Final and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in nearly 20 years, also finishing eighth in the league; their highest finish for well over a decade. Strachan resigned in February 2004, and Lowe and the board took the decision to replace him with Paul Sturrock before the end of the season. Sturrock himself left the club by "mutual consent" within six months, despite achieving good results during his time in charge. It was alleged that Lowe attempted to interfere in team selection after consulting the former head coach of the England national rugby union team Clive Woodward, who was being approached about a possible role at the club at the time.
Lowe appointed Harry Redknapp manager of Southampton in December 2004. Redknapp had quit as manager of Southampton's south-coast rivals Portsmouth two weeks earlier. Southampton were relegated in 2005 and Lowe appointed Woodward as Director of Football of Southampton in July 2005. Redknapp resigned as manager in December 2005 and subsequently rejoined Portsmouth. Lowe won a libel case against The Times in 2005, relating to a column by the sportswriter Martin Samuel, who alleged that Lowe had treated Jones "shabbily" following the latter's suspension after he was accused of child abuse charges on which he was ultimately acquitted. Lowe was awarded £250,000, which he pledged to donate to charity.