Latest news with #ROW4MND
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
MP refuses to apologise for wrongly calling charity rowers ‘illegal migrants'
Rupert Lowe, an independent MP for Great Yarmouth, mistakenly identified a charity rowing boat as a vessel carrying illegal migrants off the Norfolk coast. Lowe posted on social media, expressing concern about "dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth" and vowing to ensure their deportation if they were illegal migrants. The vessel was, in fact, the ROW4MND team, rowing from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for motor neurone disease. The charity rowers were contacted by HM Coastguard and police due to Lowe's post, but clarified their identity and purpose. Upon realising his error, Lowe pledged £1,000 to the ROW4MND fundraiser but stated he would not apologise for being vigilant for his constituents.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe alerts coastguard to 'migrants' - who were a charity rowing team
MP Rupert Lowe alerted the coastguard to potential migrants on a boat - who turned out to be a charity rowing crew. The independent Great Yarmouth MP posted a picture on social media on Thursday night of a boat near some wind turbines off the Norfolk Coast, saying he had alerted the authorities. He wrote dinghies were coming into Great Yarmouth, "RIGHT NOW". "If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure those individuals are deported," he added. Politics latest: Lammy to meet US vice president in UK But the "dinghy" was actually an ocean rowing boat crewed by ROW4MND, a team of four attempting to row from Land's End to John O'Groats for motor neurone disease research. Mr Lowe, who was suspended from Reform UK in March, posted on Friday morning that it was a "false alarm" and was a boat of charity rowers, "thank goodness". He said he would donate £1,000 to their charity "as a well done" - but warned people to "watch out for any real illegal migrants". "We received a huge number of urgent complaints from constituents - I make no apologies over being vigilant for my constituents. It is a national crisis," he wrote. "No mass deportations for the charity rowers, but we definitely need it for the illegal migrants!" Police wanted to send a boat to check It is the first of four gruelling rows the crew will take over four years in an attempt to raise £57m for motor neurone disease research, inspired by the deaths of rugby players Rob Burrow and Doddie Weir from the condition. Matthew Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley said the coastguard initially contacted them and asked if they could see a dinghy nearby. Ex-Royal Marine Mr Bates, a British record holder for rowing across the Atlantic solo, said it soon became clear the coastguard was asking about their boat. "I looked to my right and there was maybe a dozen individuals stood on the shoreline staring at us," he told the PA news agency. After the coastguard accepted they were not carrying migrants, they rowed on through the night but hours later were contacted again by the coastguard because the police had "asked if they could send a lifeboat out to check who we were". 'I've not been mistaken for a migrant before' A friend then forwarded Mr Lowe's post, which Mr Bates said was "a moment of light relief". "We found it hilarious. I've not been mistaken for a migrant before," he said. "The best comment was the one asking where the Royal Navy were when you need them. I'm a former Royal Marine, so the Royal Navy were on the boat. "But it was almost like a vigilante-style, people following us down the beach. "They hadn't twigged that we were parallel to the shore for hours and not trying to land." Read more:Is Corbyn's comeback a headache for Starmer - or a red herring? Gruelling four-year challenge The crew set off from Land's End on 25 July, heading north, but bad weather forced them to stop, and they decided to return to Land's End and start again, heading anticlockwise around the UK. Next year, the team is hoping to row from John O'Groats to Land's End, then from California to Hawaii in 2027 and New York to London in 2028. Mr Bates said: "We're rowing for hope, we're rowing to find a cure, and hopefully we'll raise £57m - we certainly will if MPs keep talking about us. Maybe Rupert will give us a donation."
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe mistakes charity rowers for ‘illegal migrants'
Ex-Reform member Rupert Lowe has pledged £1,000 to a fundraiser after he mistook a charity rowing team for illegal migrants. The now-independent MP for Great Yarmouth had posted a picture on social media on Thursday night showing a boat near some wind turbines off the Norfolk coast. 'Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW,' he wrote on X. 'Authorities alerted, and I am urgently chasing. If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure these individuals are deported.' But the vessel pictured was in fact an ocean rowing boat crewed by ROW4MND, a team of four who are attempting to row from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for motor neurone disease (MND). The crew – Matthew Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley – said they had been contacted by the Coastguard and asked if they could see a dinghy nearby, but it soon became clear the Coastguard was asking about his own boat. After satisfying the Coastguard that their boat was not carrying migrants, they continued, but several hours later were contacted again by the Coastguard because the police had 'asked if they could send a lifeboat out to check who we were'. Eventually, a friend forwarded Mr Lowe's post, which Mr Bates said provided 'a moment of light relief'. He said: 'We found it hilarious. I've not been mistaken for a migrant before. 'The best comment was the one asking where the Royal Navy were when you need them. I'm a former Royal Marine, so the Royal Navy were on the boat.' He added: 'But it was almost like a vigilante-style, people following us down the beach. 'They hadn't twigged that we were parallel to the shore for hours and not trying to land.' After realising his mistake, Mr Lowe pledged £1,000 to the team's fundraiser, but said he will not apologise for 'being vigilant'. 'Good news. False alarm!' he posted on X. 'The unknown vessel was charity rowers, thank goodness. As a well done to the crew, I'll donate £1,000 to their charity – raising money for MND. Keep going, and watch out for any real illegal migrants! 'We received a huge number of urgent complaints from constituents – I make no apologies over being vigilant for my constituents. It is a national crisis. 'No mass deportations for the charity rowers, but we definitely need it for the illegal migrants!' After the Coastguard checked their identities, the quartet set off from Land's End on July 25 and initially headed north into the Irish Sea before bad weather forced them to stop at Milford Haven in Wales. They then decided to return to Land's End and start again, this time heading in the other direction, which Mr Bates said had been 'about us showing resolve and resilience and hope'. The journey is the first of four challenges over four years, with the group aiming to row from John O'Groats to Land's End next year, from California to Hawaii in 2027 and New York to London in 2028, with a target of raising £57 million for MND research. So far, they have raised £107,515 for the charity. Mr Bates said: 'We're rowing for hope, we're rowing to find a cure, and hopefully we'll raise £57 million – we certainly will if MPs keep talking about us. Maybe Rupert will give us a donation.'
Sky News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe alerts coastguard to 'migrants' - who were a charity rowing team
MP Rupert Lowe alerted the coastguard to potential migrants on a boat - who turned out to be a charity rowing crew. The independent Great Yarmouth MP posted a picture on social media on Thursday night of a boat near some wind turbines off the Norfolk Coast, saying he had alerted the authorities. He wrote dinghies were coming into Great Yarmouth, "RIGHT NOW". "If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure those individuals are deported," he added. But the "dinghy" was actually an ocean rowing boat crewed by ROW4MND, a team of four attempting to row from Land's End to John O'Groats for motor neurone disease research. Mr Lowe, who was suspended from Reform UK in March, posted on Friday morning that it was a "false alarm" and was a boat of charity rowers, "thank goodness". He said he would donate £1,000 to their charity "as a well done" - but warned people to "watch out for any real illegal migrants". "We received a huge number of urgent complaints from constituents - I make no apologies over being vigilant for my constituents. It is a national crisis," he wrote. "No mass deportations for the charity rowers, but we definitely need it for the illegal migrants!" Police wanted to send a boat to check It is the first of four gruelling rows the crew will take over four years in an attempt to raise £57m for motor neurone disease research, inspired by the deaths of rugby players Rob Burrow and Doddie Weir from the condition. Matthew Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley said the coastguard initially contacted them and asked if they could see a dinghy nearby. Ex-Royal Marine Mr Bates, a British record holder for rowing across the Atlantic solo, said it soon became clear the coastguard was asking about their boat. "I looked to my right and there was maybe a dozen individuals stood on the shoreline staring at us," he told the PA news agency. After the coastguard accepted they were not carrying migrants, they rowed on through the night but hours later were contacted again by the coastguard because the police had "asked if they could send a lifeboat out to check who we were". 'I've not been mistaken for a migrant before' A friend then forwarded Mr Lowe's post, which Mr Bates said was "a moment of light relief". "We found it hilarious. I've not been mistaken for a migrant before," he said. "The best comment was the one asking where the Royal Navy were when you need them. I'm a former Royal Marine, so the Royal Navy were on the boat. "But it was almost like a vigilante-style, people following us down the beach. "They hadn't twigged that we were parallel to the shore for hours and not trying to land." Gruelling four-year challenge The crew set off from Land's End on 25 July, heading north, but bad weather forced them to stop, and they decided to return to Land's End and start again, heading anticlockwise around the UK. Next year, the team is hoping to row from John O'Groats to Land's End, then from California to Hawaii in 2027 and New York to London in 2028.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
MP Rupert Lowe apologises after mistaking charity rowing crew for illegal migrants
Rupert Lowe has apologised after mistaking a charity rowing crew for a boat full of migrants. The Independent MP, who won the Great Yarmouth seat for Reform UK before being ousted from the party earlier this year, claimed yesterday that 'dinghies' were heading towards the Norfolk coast. The former Southampton FC chairman, who has more than 400,000 followers on X, said he had alerted the authorities and was 'urgently chasing', whilst sharing an image of a boat near wind turbines off the coast. But he was forced to row back on his comments when it emerged the boat in question belonged to ROW4MND – a team of four charity rowers making their way from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for motor neurone disease research. Mr Lowe later admitted it had been a 'false alarm' and pledged to donate £1,000 to the group's cause. Posting on Instagram, the crew said they were 'disappointed' by the MP's post, but added: 'We forgive you.' Last night, Mr Lowe posted on X: 'Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW. 'Authorities alerted, and I am urgently chasing. If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure these individuals are deported. 'Enough is enough. Britain needs mass deportations. NOW.' The crew, made up of Matthew Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley, said they had been contacted by the Coastguard and asked whether they could see a dinghy nearby, only to realise they had been mistaken for one themselves. Mr Bates, a former Royal Marine and British record holder for rowing across the Atlantic solo, said soon became clear the Coastguard was asking about his own boat. 'I looked to my right and there was maybe a dozen individuals stood on the shoreline staring at us,' he said. After satisfying the Coastguard that their boat was not carrying migrants, they continued, but several hours later were contacted again by the Coastguard because the police had 'asked if they could send a lifeboat out to check who we were'. Eventually, a friend forwarded Mr Lowe's post, which Mr Bates said provided 'a moment of light relief'. He said: 'We found it hilarious. I've not been mistaken for a migrant before. 'The best comment was the one asking where the Royal Navy were when you need them. I'm a former Royal Marine, so the Royal Navy were on the boat.' He added: 'But it was almost like a vigilante-style, people following us down the beach. 'They hadn't twigged that we were parallel to the shore for hours and not trying to land.' The quartet set off from Land's End on July 25 and initially headed north into the Irish Sea before bad weather forced them to stop at Milford Haven in Wales. They then decided to return to Land's End and start again, this time heading in the other direction, which Mr Bates said had been 'about us showing resolve and resilience and hope'. The group wrote on their Instagram page: 'Thankfully, the police and coastguard consist of predominantly adult land mammals, complete with working brain cells, and so immediately realised the lunacy of illegal migrants choosing to invade the country using a £75,000 cutting edge ocean rowing boat. '@rupertlowe10 - if you're reading this. We're disappointed in your conduct, we're disappointed that you wasted so much of the police and coastguard's time, but we forgive you. 'Pop an appropriate donation in at the link in our bio, then round up your army of disciples, ask them to put their pitchforks back in the Middle Ages for a few moments, and let's redirect their obvious energies to raising £57 million in a bid to find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease.' The post ends with the hashtag #sillysausage. This morning, Mr Lowe had to clear the record, writing: 'Good news. False alarm! The unknown vessel was charity rowers, thank goodness. 'As a well done to the crew, I'll donate £1,000 to their charity - raising money for MND. 'Keep going, and watch out for any real illegal migrants! We received a huge number of urgent complaints from constituents - I make no apologies over being vigilant for my constituents. It is a national crisis. 'No mass deportations for the charity rowers, but we definitely need it for the illegal migrants!' The journey the group are doing is the first of four challenges over four years, with the group aiming to row from John O'Groats to Land's End next year, from California to Hawaii in 2027 and New York to London in 2028, with a target of raising £57million for MND research.
