Zia Yusuf has resigned as chair of Reform UK, with the catalyst believed to be his disquiet over some party MPs pushing for a ban on the burqa. Yusuf’s departure, announced on Thursday, comes just months after he was praised by Nigel Farage for bringing professionalisation to the party.
Yusuf, a millionaire entrepreneur of Muslim heritage, had been appointed chair in July 2024. At Reform’s conference in September, Farage said Yusuf had “already made a massive difference to our level of professionalisation”. His role was to build a network of volunteer-driven branches, akin to the Liberal Democrats, to reduce reliance on Farage’s personal charisma.
Last month’s local elections saw Reform take control of ten councils, but the party’s volunteer base remains thin, reportedly relying on paid-for literature. Within weeks of that landmark, two key figures have left: Yusuf and Nathaniel Fried, who worked alongside him in the party’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) unit.
The departure of Yusuf, a young Muslim immigrant, may hinder Farage’s attempt to broaden Reform’s appeal beyond its core culture-war support. Potential replacements include Arron Banks, a wealthy donor and former “bad boy of Brexit”, seen as a step back to a less disciplined era, or safer hands like deputy Richard Tice or TV presenter David Bull.
