Reform UK has lost the architect of its recent surge in popularity after Zia Yusuf resigned as chairman, saying working to get the party elected was no longer “a good use of my time”.
Amid claims that some colleagues found Mr Yusuf difficult to work with, party leader Nigel Farage was quick to pour praise on him for building the membership and helping steer the party to success at laswt month’s English election.
In a social media post that took Westminster by surprise,Mr Yusuf 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% [in national polls], 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.”
He did not expand further on his reasons for stepping down, it came after he said it was “dumb” for the party’s newest MP Sarah Pochin, to call on Sir Keir Starmer to ban women from wearing the burqa.
Other Reform MPs were broadly supportive of Ms Pochin, leaving the chairman exposed.
Reform leader Nigel Farage said he only heard about Mr Yusuf’s decision 10 minutes before he announced his resignation.
He said he was “genuinely sorry” Mr Yusuf was resigning, describing him as “enormously talented”, crediting him for the party’s successes last moth, when Reform won a by-election, two mayoral races and gained 677 new councillors.
Mr Farage later told GB News he believed Mr Yusuf had “had enough” of politics, which can be “totally unrelenting”. He also said not everyone got on with him.
He added: “Were his interpersonal skills at the top of his list of attributes? No. But I always found him, with me, very polite.”
Mr Yusuf was previously a member of the Conservative Party and became Reform UK’s chairman shortly after last year’s general election.
He made a personal fortune from his tech start-up which he sold for more than £200 million. He described himself as a “proud British muslim”. During a press conference in Aberdeen this week, Mr Farage mentioned Mr Yusuf’s ethnicity in response to questions about the party’s view on race.
Mr Yusuf donated £200,000 to Reform during the general election campaign and, as chairman, set about professionalising the party and attracting donors.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “If Nigel Farage can’t manage a handful of politicians, how on earth could he run a country?
“He has fallen out with everyone he has ever worked with. Reform are just not serious.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Reform is not a political party. It is a fan club.”
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