Mon, 17th August Cardiff 22°
Nation.Cymru wordmark
Advertisement

News

Reform UK chairman quits after calling question from party’s newest MP ‘dumb’

By Mark Mansfield
Reform UK party chairman Zia Yusuf speaks during a press conference in Westminster. Photo Ben Whitley/PA Wire

The chairman of Reform UK has quit, saying working to get the party elected was no longer “a good use of my time”.

Zia Yusuf’s decision follows a row in which he described a question to the Prime Minister concerning a ban on burkas from his party’s newest MP as “dumb”.

Announcing his resignation on Thursday afternoon, he said: “11 months ago I became chairman of Reform. I’ve worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30%, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results.

“I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.”

[mid-content-banner]

Burka

Earlier, he had criticised the party’s newest MP, Sarah Pochin, after she asked Sir Keir Starmer whether he would support banning the burka during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday – something that appears not to be a policy of Reform’s.

Asked about the question on social media, Mr Yusuf had said: “Nothing to do with me. Had no idea about the question nor that it wasn’t policy. Busy with other stuff.

“I do think it’s dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn’t do.”

Mr Yusuf’s resignation comes on the day Reform hopes to cause an upset in Scotland, where it is contesting a Holyrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney has described the contest as a “two-horse race” between his SNP and Reform.

Following Mr Yusuf’s resignation, Reform leader Nigel Farage said he was “genuinely sorry” that he had decided to stand down, paying tribute to him as “enormously talented” and “a huge factor in our success” at the local elections.

[lower-mid-content-banner]

Highly-pressured

Mr Farage added: “Politics can be a highly pressured and difficult game and Zia has clearly had enough. He is a loss to us and public life.”

A Labour spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage could fit all of his MPs in the back of a cab, yet he can’t stop them fighting among themselves.

“Reform only guarantees more Liz Truss-style chaos. Their £80 billion of unfunded commitments would lead to economic meltdown and put up everyone’s mortgage and bills. They’re just not credible.”

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News

20 comments

Undecided

The full implosion is only a matter of time.

Reply
TheOtherJones

Man shocked party that attracts Islamophobes uses its question in Westminster to call for a clamp down on female Muslims. Reform is a magnet for people with those prejudices, was on a hiding to nothing if he thought members wouldn’t be indulging in said prejudices given the chance.

Reply
Mab Meirion

You bit the hand, you silly thing, I'd whistle Colonel Bogey every time she entered the chamber if I was the Speaker...

Reply
Only Considerable Upsides

If a high profile resignation and a very public falling out are evidence of Reform UK 'success', is this the shape of things to come in Wales next year if recent polling is to be believed?

Reply
Undecided

It could be chaos. We don’t yet know the full reasons for the resignation; but I agree you don’t need a genius to work out that they are falling out with each other. I must admit that I didn’t think it would happen so soon. They will never hold it together until the next general election; but the Senedd could be a different story.

Reply
Only Considerable Upsides

We see it time and time again with these parties, with 'best buddies' Elon and Donald seemingly determined not to let Reform UK grab the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Any established party here in Wales believing this lot would make good coalition partners need to have their heads read… ...and I'm looking at you, Darren.

Reply

In reply to Only Considerable Upsides

hdavies15

Darren might not be around after 2026 election. Might be chasing a Reform or Tory ticket for next UK GE.

Reply
R W

What a surprise.... Reform UK in a state of self-implosion! 😂

Reply
Y Cymro

Reform UK are now showing their true colours. Similar was said by the Brexit Party about Islam and Islamic dress. And the same with Ukip. Would he say similar about the Jewish Kippur or those Orthodox Jews wearing the Tallit or Tzniut distinctive ringlets? Like hell he would. He targets the most vulnerable. Being Islamophobic is tolerated these days it seems, in some cases encouraged. Just see how the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are treated by the Western media or Muslims in Britain per se. Take the riots as an example after those little girls were murder a good example. Those on social media wrongly blames Muslims and Mosque were attacked and firebombed by followers of English football thug Tommy Robinson & Reform UK. Nigel Farage might distance himself from Reform MP Sara Pochin's comments , but he was sitting next to her and Richard Twice in the House of Commons during PMQs and must have known beforehand what question she was due to ask. His lame excuse doesn't wash with me. The resignation of Zia Yusuf , a former paid up member of the Conservative party I might add , is one of many haemorrhaging from Reform recently. I've lost count how many councillors have been sacked , resigned for making racist remarks, conflict of interests , or due to malicious conduct in office With this knowledge in mind. Only a fool would still vote for Reform UK. But sadly this is the very section of society Nigel Farage & Richard Tice favour. The apathetic, the forgotten and overlooked, those from poor deprived former mining communities failed by past Labour and Conservative governments. These are the very communities he, Farage, was happy to see slowly rot after Thatcher decimated those coal mines in the North East and South Wales valleys while he championed her destructive policies. Bare this in mind those foolish enough to trust Reform in Wales come the Senedd election next May. Farage manipulator who loves the poorly educated. He's learned a trick or two from the Trump bible. After all. Farage stood for the Conservative party throughout the 1980s & 90s eight times and couldn't get elected until he found his home spending over 10 years trolling the EU while screwing the public purse as a MEP where he honed his skills. So beware. A warning to the curious.

Reply
CBinTH

I wonder whether anyone could express *any* negativity about the Burkha without being condemned by two factions of people - the British liberal-left, and resentful UK Muslims. The liberal-left will happily overlook the headscarf-ban in France, and continue to laud Macron et al as a defender of Europe's liberal values. UK Muslims will tolerate different opinions amongst Muslims themselves (*very* few choose to wear the literal Afghan-style burkha). But when a British MP expresses concern about the burkha all will unite in condemning that MP as 'racist'. When you say "he targets the most vulnerable" I think you unwittingly put your finger on the issue. The rise of the niqab or burkha scares people because it is taken as a proxy for things other than itself : 1./ It is assumed that it accompanies an ultra-orthodox Muslim worldview 2/ It is assumed that a Muslim ultra-orthodox worldview means either 2.a/ a radical religious political agenda 2.b/ or a radical sense of being separate to, or resentful of, wider society. 3/ the rise in the number of veiled women is associated with a rise both in the size of the Muslim community and in the degree of alienation within that community. Instead of being motivated by the vulnerability of the Muslim community, anti-burkha feelings are generated by both the perceived strength and the perceived hostility of the Muslim community. The reason Jews are not targeted is primarily the very small size of their community, but also their thorough efforts over centuries to express unconditional patriotic sentiments and to cause as little trouble as possible. In fact, the rise in Ultra-Orthodox Judaism within Israel and the rise of "Muslim fundamentalism" or "communalism" everywhere else are legitimate concerns. The act of wearing a burkha (or even a headscarf) may be an act of self sacrificial piety worthy of respect, but it also sets new boundaries on social interaction, accentuates communal differences, and puts internal pressure on community members to display public piety.

Reply
Alain

Poor lamb must've thought he was in a serious political party, not a 1930s European reenactment society.

Reply
Anianegwr

It's like UKIP in the Senedd again.

Reply
Only Considerable Upsides

Let's hope so, for they're not there now.

Reply
Daniel Pitt

UKIP MK II has been sold to the public as a bona fide motor. On closer inspection it has no engine, no tyres, no brakes, no suspension, no oil, and some yob has nicked the steering wheel. Please don't let these tragicomic clowns transform the Senedd into a farcical circus.

Reply
Jeff

And now musk and trump are st each other like rats in a sack. Been a good day so far for the far right imploding.

Reply
Fanny Hill

Hilarious!

Reply
Fanny Hill

Not to worry, there’ll be another mug along in a minute.

Reply
Jeff

Truss is looking for a job.

Reply
Matthew

Hopefully the beginning of the end of UKIP 3.0. I doubt any of them could tell you what a burqa was any way, not that I've ever seen anyone wearing one, only niqabs and hijabs.

Reply
Fanny Hill

The trawler Codswallop left harbour its proud skipper, Nigel “Birdseye” Farage at the helm, one hand on the wheel, the other grasping a pint and a gravity defying fag hanging from his bottom lip.  At his side stood his trusty First Mate Dickie, not that Nigel could really trust anyone these days, but as idiots went Dickie was probably quite useful. The Codswallop ploughed north towards the open sea navigating past the Kipper, a boat Nigel had once captained, now a fetid wreck aground on a sandbank. Suddenly Dickie yelled out “man overboard!” “Birdseye” glanced to port and saw a brown face bobbing in the Codswallop’s wake waving two fingers of each hand at them. “Asylum seeker?”, asked Nigel, contemptuously. “No” came the reply,”He’s one of ours.”, said Dickie excitedly, “It’s Yusuf.” “What the hell is he doing out there, I thought he was our Purser?” Not any more apparently. The answer was right under the skipper’s nose, scrawled in blood on the Codswallop’s sea chart. “Stick your crew. I'm don't want to be part of a crew that wants to ban the burqa”. “Who the hell said that?”, screamed “Birdseye”, flinging his pint across the bridge. “Um, Sarah” mumbled Dickie, “she’s our latest crew member.” “Birdseye” glowered at Dickie. “Have quite a word with her.” snarled Nigel. Dickie swallowed nervously, “ Perhaps Jimmy could speak to her?” “Are you insane?. With his record?”, raged Nigel. A that moment the VHF burst into life. “Mayday, Mayday. This is the Donald, we have a mutiny on board, Epstein's dead and the First Mate has gone CRAZY.” Nigel looked west to where the Donald’s last position lay, shrouded in a dark squall. He swung the wheel and pointed the Codswallop westward. "What about Yusuf?" pleaded Dickie. "Who?" muttered "Birdseye" under his breath, "I have to get to the Donald, he needs my help urgently, a friend in need and all that." (To be continued)  

Reply

Leave a reply

Replying to R W Cancel

What a surprise.... Reform UK in a state of self-implosion! 😂

Comments are reviewed before they appear.