Reform’s newly elected MP Sarah Pochin sparked outrage with a photo of herself holding a mug depicting Keir Starmer in a hijab alongside the words “Two Tier Keir”. The image, flagged by anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate, went viral in far-right circles.
🤦 Burqa ban chaos
Just days before, Pochin had asked in the Commons whether Starmer would ban the burqa—a move the party swiftly disowned as “not party policy.” Questioning the show of force, chairman Zia Yusuf branded her question “dumb” and resigned in frustration—only to return 48 hours later.
🎙️ Yusuf on the Today programme
On BBC Radio 4’s Today, Yusuf defended Pochin as “an incredible MP” and a “phenomenal asset”. “I was instrumental in selecting her,” he said. When pressed if he was comfortable with the hijab-mug image, he replied: “She’s clearly laughing. I know Sarah very well—she’s a close friend.”
💬 Regrets and context
Yusuf admitted he regretted calling the Commons question “dumb”. “I was reflecting the party’s position,” he explained, stressing that Pochin’s burqa query wasn’t Reform policy. “I made it a storm in a teacup because I was exhausted,” he added.
⚖️ Wider debate
Hope Not Hate’s Georgie Laming condemned the mug as “extreme anti-Muslim prejudice”. Yusuf countered that picking on one photo out of “tens of thousands” mischaracterises Pochin’s record—and that she remains firmly in his corner.
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