The defection of former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick to Reform UK has significantly boosted the party's prospects of winning the next general election, according to its head of policy, Zia Yusuf. The comments come amid a fierce political row, with Labour's Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy issuing stark warnings about the language used by Nigel Farage's party.
Yusuf Hails 'Thoughtful' Jenrick as a Game-Changer
In an interview with Sky News's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on 18 January 2026, Zia Yusuf stated that Mr Jenrick's arrival makes a Reform victory more probable. "My assessment is that this is a man who is thoughtful, who is clear-eyed about all of the different ways the Tories betrayed this country," Yusuf said, following a dinner with the defector on the Thursday night he switched parties.
He emphasised the strategic importance of the move, arguing: "Him arriving at Reform makes it more likely that we win the next general election. I think that's a really important milestone in order for us to do that, to turn the country around." Yusuf also firmly ruled out any electoral pact with the Conservatives, declaring "there isn't space for two centre-right parties in this country."
Nandy's 'Fascist' Warning and the Clash of Rhetoric
The political atmosphere was further charged when Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy was questioned about reports she had warned Cabinet colleagues of a potential "fascist" government under Nigel Farage. While refusing to confirm the specific wording from a confidential meeting, she delivered a pointed critique.
"I come from a mixed race background. I've seen this playbook before where people try to scapegoat and demonise other people," Nandy stated. She added that the country's problems are not caused by migrants or people of colour, but by "the people that he's welcoming with open arms to his own party."
Pressed on using the term 'fascist', she responded: "I'm not sure that labels are particularly helpful… if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, in my experience, it usually is a duck."
Yusuf Fires Back, Accusing Labour of Authoritarian Moves
Zia Yusuf strongly condemned the use of such language, arguing it makes politics "even more dangerous." He turned the tables by listing actions of the Labour government he deemed concerning.
"He's cancelled elections now for a grand total of around seven and a half million people," Yusuf said of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "His justice secretary's withdrawing the right to jury trials. That has been a right that's been around since the Magna Carta."
He concluded that such measures were "far, far more worrying than anything Nigel Farage has ever said or done," but refused to reciprocate with extreme labels, stating it would cheapen language and dishonour victims of real fascism.
The exchange highlights the intense and increasingly personal battle for votes as the next general election approaches, with Reform UK positioning Jenrick's defection as a pivotal moment in their campaign to disrupt the political establishment.
