Reform U.K. chairman Yusuf quits after burqa debate sparks party rift

Zia Yusuf, Chairman of the Reform party | Photo Credit: Reuters

The Chairman of the nativist Reform U.K. party, Zia Yusuf, has discontinue implicit a caller MP from his enactment asking whether the U.K. authorities would prohibition the burqa.

“Eleven months ago, I became president of Reform. I’ve worked afloat clip arsenic a unpaid to instrumentality the enactment from 14% to 30%, quadrupled its rank and delivered historical electoral results,” Mr. Yusuf said connected X, adding, helium was quitting his occupation arsenic it was nary longer a bully usage of his time.

On Wednesday (June 4, 2025), Reform’s caller MP, Sarah Pochin, asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the conception for Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) whether his authorities would prohibition the burqa connected nationalist information grounds, pursuing the illustration of respective different European countries. Mr. Starmer had said helium would not spell down that path.

“I bash deliberation it’s dumb for a enactment to inquire the PM if they would bash thing the enactment itself wouldn’t do,” Mr. Yusuf said.

Reform U.K. person and MP, Nigel Farage, said helium was “genuinely sorry” to spot Mr. Yusuf go, crediting him for Reform’s occurrence successful the May 1 section elections successful England.

The results, which were a crushing decision for the Conservatives and a informing motion for Labour, had rattled Mr. Starmer, prompting his authorities to denote restrictions connected migration and a partial rollback successful cuts to wintertime substance subsidies for elder citizens.

The quality of Mr. Yusuf’s departure came arsenic Scottish Labour’s Davy Russell won the Scottish parliamentary constituency of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, taking it from the Scottish National Party (SNP) aft a important byelection connected Thursday (June 5, 2025).

Labour and the SNP won 31.6% and 29.4% of the votes, respectively, portion Reform secured 26.1% of the ballot share. During the campaign, Mr. Farage had accused Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar, who was calved successful Scotland to parents from Pakistan, of “sectarianism” implicit comments helium had made a 2022 lawsuit celebrating Pakistan’s 75th day of Independence. Mr. Farage’s remarks had been denounced arsenic racist by the SNP and Labour.

On Friday (June 6, 2025), Mr. Farage celebrated the ballot stock his enactment had won successful the byelection.

Published - June 06, 2025 10:30 p.m. IST