Zia Yusuf resigns as Reform UK chairman

ZIA YUSUF, chairman of the Reform UK party, resigned on Thursday.

Reform UK, led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, won five parliamentary seats in last July’s national election and had a strong showing in last month’s local elections.

The party is currently leading national opinion polls, ahead of prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.

“I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office,” Yusuf said, without giving further details about his decision to step down.

Internal divisions within Reform UK have surfaced publicly in the past. In March, the party referred one of its lawmakers, Rupert Lowe, to police over allegations including threats of physical violence against Yusuf. Prosecutors later decided not to bring charges against Lowe, who was suspended by the party.

Earlier on Thursday, Yusuf criticised Reform MP Sarah Pochin’s question to Starmer in parliament about whether the government would consider banning the burqa, calling it “dumb”.

Yusuf, who is not an MP, became chairman of the party last year.