Inside The Shock Zia Yusuf Resignation That Caught Reform UK Off Guard
5 min read
Zia Yusuf’s resignation as Reform UK chairman stunned senior party figures and raises questions for Nigel Farage's professionalisation push.
It was only last month that Yusuf, brought in by Nigel Farage to help professionalise the party in its pursuit of power, declared that Reform would win up to 400 MPs at the next general election, heaping praise on leader Farage as "our next Prime Minister”.
But in a dramatic turn of events on Thursday night, giving Farage just “10 minutes' warning”, Yusuf announced his decision to quit as party chairman, posting on X, the website formerly known as Twitter: “I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.”
Less than 48 hours later, Yusuf said he was returning to Reform, blaming the "mistake" of his resignation two days earlier on "exhaustion". He said he would lead the party's Elon Musk-inspired 'doge' team, which has pledged to eliminate waste at Reform-run councils.
His Thursday night decision to resign came to a head after a fresh row broke out in the party over a burka ban, with Yusuf, a Muslim, calling the party’s newest MP, Sarah Pochin, “dumb” for asking Keir Starmer in PMQs “something the party itself wouldn’t do".
While Farage told GB News he’d spotted the early signs that Yusuf had “checked out” from his role, other senior figures in Reform told PoliticsHome they didn’t see it coming. Staff in the party’s Millbank HQ had no warning either, many only finding out when they saw the post on X, along with the rest of Westminster.
Yusuf had not been seen in the party’s HQ since the announcement at the time of writing, with senior figures saying there were no attempts to persuade the multimillionaire businessman to stay on: “You can’t force someone to do something they don't want to do”.
This latest saga shines a fresh light on concerns over the party’s lack of internal discipline and Farage’s leadership style.
Social media abuse “got to him”, according to Yusuf’s allies, and played a significant factor in his decision to leave – but he remains a party member.
Speaking to GB News on Thursday night, Farage said: “The consistent campaign against him on X, much of it coming from Indian bots, has perhaps made some Reform members question him, question his motives. All of that is completely unfair.”
However, the party leader admitted that the former banker’s “Goldman Sachs-like mentality” had rubbed some party figures up the wrong way, confirming longstanding criticism by some in the party that Yusuf could be difficult to work with.
“Not everyone got on with him. You know what? It’s called politics,” the party leader added.
Yusuf takes credit for “taking the party from 14 per cent to 30 per cent”.
However, there are Reform figures who were keen to see him gone long before his bombshell announcement. Before his exit, one party insider told PoliticsHome that their recent success, which included major gains at the May local and mayoral elections, was “despite Zia Yusuf, not because of him”, and that “many problems in the party will continue to fester until he is removed."
A senior party figure added it was a “shame” the multimillionaire businessman had quit, but acknowledged that “despite his many strengths, his weakness was motivating people.”
Just hours before his departure, the Express reported Yusuf had been sidelined over recent weeks with behind-the-scenes figures like Aaron Lobo taking on some of his operational responsibilities.
Yusuf only took up the chairmanship 11 months ago and played a central role in trying to professionalise the party, setting up local branch infrastructure and most recently the new doge units.
The head of the party's doge team and tech entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried, followed Yusuf out the door in solidarity after being in post for less than a week, posting on X: “Liz Truss lasted longer than me at DOGE.”
The cost-cutting drive is expected to continue, despite losing two key figures. “It’s kind of like when a manager leaves a football team and one of the assistants goes with him”, said one insider.
Senior figures said they are “pushing on” and insist it’s “results and delivery that matter”. They are keen to point to the party’s result in Thursday’s crucial Scottish by-election in Hamilton, which saw Reform finish a close third behind winners Labour and the SNP.
Much of the Reform infrastructure and branch organisation is already set up, according to party sources, who insist Yusuf's exit won't damage the party's brand or delivery.
But despite Reform's efforts to downplay its significance, Yusuf’s resignation is a blow for the party, which has suffered more than its fair share of internal disputes since the general election last year.
Insiders claim, however, that while MP Rupert Lowe's recent removal from Reform has been a bitter, public row, the parting between Yusuf and Reform “appears to be amicable”.
The party will want to show it is capable of unity going forward. While it’s unclear who might replace Yusuf, PoliticsHome understands there has already been a great deal of interest. Two favourites tipped for the top job are long-time Farage allies, Arron Banks and Andy Wigmore.
The long-awaited party board, previously expected this summer, will also likely be delayed – at least until a new chairman is found. Former party spinner Gawain Towler told PoliticsHome that rather than try and get his old job back, he will be seeking a seat on the party board instead.
Labour and Conservative MPs were gleeful last night at the prospect of a Reform implosion, but whether this saga alone will knock them off course in the opinion polls is doubtful.
