Zia Yusuf stunned Reform UK this week by resigning as party chairman. In a blunt social media post, he declared:
“I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time.”
11 months ago I became Chairman of Reform. I’ve worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30%, 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…
Sarah’s question—though popular with some Reform supporters—wasn’t even party policy. Yusuf’s frank jab hinted at growing tensions behind the Reform blue façade.
Nigel Farage responded to Yusuf’s exit with genuine regret. He posted on X:
“I’m genuinely sorry Zia is resigning. He is enormously talented. A huge factor in our recent success.”
Farage praised Yusuf’s contributions: quadrupling membership, pushing polls from 14% to 30%, and securing victory in a by-election, two mayoral races, plus 677 new councillors. But even Farage admitted, somewhat ruefully:
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“Politics can be a highly pressured and difficult game, and Zia has clearly had enough.”
💼 A snapshot of Yusuf’s tenure
Yusuf took the reins shortly after the last general election. A former banker and tech entrepreneur (he sold his start-up for over £200m), he described himself as a “proud British Muslim patriot”. He’d pumped £200,000 of his own money into Reform UK during the campaign.
As chairman, Yusuf professionalised the party machine. He wooed donors, rallied activists, and oversaw those historic electoral results. Now he simply feels his time would be better spent elsewhere.
