Reform UK has descended into a bitter public feud as its immigration policy unravels, with home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf and economic lead Robert Jenrick clashing over plans to deport hundreds of thousands of people from Britain.
The spat comes at a difficult time for party leader Nigel Farage, whose party has been hit by a string of revelations over controversial comments made by their by-election candidate in Makerfield, who is facing off with Labour's Andy Burnham.
Jenrick's Comments Spark Row
The row erupted after Jenrick, a former Conservative MP, told Sky News that a foreign resident legally living in the UK and residing in social housing would not face automatic deportation under a Reform government. He stated: "Well not exclusively. If they fail to meet our criteria, because they're not in work, or they're not working in as many hours, not earning enough money, then they won't be able to renew their work visa, because ILR won't exist, and they'll be asked to leave."
Yusuf's Public Rebuttal
Jenrick's comments were swiftly slapped down online by Yusuf, who took to X to publicly correct his colleague rather than addressing him privately. Yusuf posted: "Robert's answer is not Reform policy. As the person responsible for our deportation plan I want to ensure people know where we stand: If a foreign national lives in social housing at taxpayer expense, they automatically fail our economic test and will be deported."
Labour Reacts
Labour immigration minister Mike Tapp seized on the clash, claiming Reform UK are "making it up as they go along". He said: "While Reform fight amongst themselves, with no serious plan or agreement on what they actually stand for, this Labour government is getting on with delivering for working people. Despite the mess we inherited, Labour has delivered the lowest level of net migration since 2012 and the highest growth in the G7, alongside more neighbourhood police officers and falling NHS waiting lists. We've also announced the biggest boost to defence spending since the Cold War and new cost of living support for families this summer. Only Labour is focused on delivering security and stability for Britain - with lots done, and lots more to do."
Migration Figures Drop
The infighting comes in a week that showed migration to the UK nearly halved over the last year under the Labour government. Net migration stood at an estimated 171,000 in the year to December 2025, down nearly a half (48%) from 331,000 in the previous 12 months, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is the lowest figure since early 2021, when the post-Brexit immigration system was introduced and Covid-19 travel restrictions were still in place.
