Independent MP Rupert Lowe has agreed to donate £1,000 to a charity after mistakenly reporting its rowing crew, including a former Royal Marine, to the coastguard as suspected illegal migrants. Lowe, who represents Great Yarmouth, alerted authorities after spotting the boat off the Norfolk coast.
The crew, known as Row4MND, were attempting to row from Land’s End to John o’Groats to raise funds and awareness for motor neurone disease (MND). They were contacted by the coastguard, who initially asked if they could see a dinghy nearby, before realising the vessel in question was their own.
Mike Bates, a Royal Navy veteran and former Royal Marine, said the incident provided light relief. “We found it hilarious. I’ve not been mistaken for a migrant before,” he said. The crew later learned of Lowe’s social media post, in which he vowed to use “every tool at my disposal” to deport them if they were migrants.
After confirming the error, Lowe posted: “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.” He added that he made “no apologies over being vigilant” given the “national crisis” of illegal migration.
The crew are raising funds for MND research and plan future rows, including from California to Hawaii in 2027 and New York to London in 2028, with a target of £57 million.
