There’s much more to Zia Yusuf’s dramatic resignation from Reform than a row over the burqa

Zia Yusuf’s departure had more to do with his failure to persuade donors to part with cash than a row over Reform’s attitude to the burqa, insiders have told The Independent.

But more than that, it was the now-former chairman’s inability to work with people and get on with them that was at the heart of his sudden announcement on Thursday, it has been claimed.

It came after he described Reform’s new MP Sarah Pochin as “dumb” after she asked a question about banning the burqa during Prime Minister’s Questions. But in reality, there were many more problems building.

The Independent has contacted Mr Yusuf for his version of events and has not received a response. But his critics have not waited long to get their joy over his departure out and give their account of why he was ousted.

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“The trouble is that while Zia was a very hard worker, he was a bit of a kn**,” said one associate of Nigel Farage.

“He just could not get on with people or work with people. But the much bigger problem was that donors did not want to hand over their money to the party after they spoke to him.”

Mr Yusuf had, along with former Tory donor Nick Candy, been responsible for pitching to wealthy potential backers to fund Reform’s push for power.

“There’s a lot of money there to be released, but Zia wasn’t getting it.”

Even with the party’s charge in the polls and a growing lead over Labour, with the Tories collapsing for various reasons, many donors were still sitting on their hands and not won over by the Yusuf/Candy charm offensive.

Although in Mr Yusuf’s case it was “more of a lack of charm and pretty offensive”, an insider claimed.

For Mr Farage to fulfil his dream of getting to 10 Downing Street by 2029, reform needs cash to fund its push for power. But even the Tories - in complete crisis under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership and with dwindling support - have been beating Reform with donations.

But it was not just the failure to win the hearts and minds of millionaires and billionaires that was troubling senior figures in Reform.

Several party figures have claimed that the “writing was on the wall for Zia since March” when the fallout with Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe almost derailed their local election campaign.

Mr Lowe blames Farage equally for what happened and has confirmed that he will not be seeking to rejoin Reform, after he was ousted over claims he harassed two women and Mr Yusuf reported him to the police for allegedly threatening him with violence. Police later dropped the case, and no charges were brought against Mr Lowe.

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This had already been a problem with him previously throwing members out en masse in various new branches for minor infractions of party (or his) rules or not taking instructions from the centre.

Supporters of Mr Yusuf, who included Nigel Farage until this week, at least publicly, pointed out he was there to professionalise the party and to ensure that the problem of rogue candidates with appalling views that had dogged Ukip and the Brexit Party did not continue to be a problem for Reform.

It is also true that he had been subject to an incredible amount of abuse from former and current supporters of Reform, much of it Islamophobic.

The final meltdown over Ms Pochin’s question to Sir Keir Starmer on banning the burqa is thought to have been the last straw for Mr Yusuf, dealing with what is increasingly becoming an anti-Muslim party in its membership, if not leadership.

Mr Lowe was not the only previously loyal foot soldier ousted. Some, such as ex-deputy leader Ben Habib and former London mayoral candidate Howard Cox, are highly unlikely to come back.

Others. including former director of communications, Gawain Towler, will be welcomed back. Mr Towler, an effective communicator and long-term part of the Farage cause, was sacked by Mr Yusuf when the Reform leader was out of the country. He was also banned from Reform HQ despite being a loyal party member.

Apparently, that ban has now been lifted and Mr Towler is expected to return, possibly on the board representing members.

Perhaps the biggest issue for those now feeling they can vent their anger about him was Mr Yusuf’s inability to build loyalty with party staff and volunteers.

One insider noted: “Perhaps now we can have a culture where we can learn from our mistakes.”

Another joked: “Champagne corks were popping in misery at the announcement.”

Mr Yusuf had some powerful opponents within the party lined up against him as well, even with Farage’s continued public support.

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This included Raheem Kassam, a former Farage aide now a key figure in the MAGA movement in the US, who is very close to the Donald Trump camp.

Mr Kassam told The Independent back in March that Mr Yusuf would be forced out.

Yesterday, he said: “I said months ago something like this would happen because in such a new party with many competing personalities and priorities, being chairman or even leader is an almost thankless and gargantuan task. Pressure getting the better of Zia Yusuf should make people even more appreciative of Nigel Farage’s personal indefatigability.”

Another long-term ally and fellow “Brexit bad boy”, the businessman Arron Banks, was not a fan either.

Mr Banks, who came to prominence as founder of the pro-Brexit site Leave.EU, was already moving in on the Reform DOGE project which Mr Yusuf had wanted for himself and is now one of the frontrunners to be the next chairman.

He posted on X/ Twitter: “Astonishing that everyone thinks they are responsible for the meteoric Reform rise, as the old saying goes, success has many fathers and failure an orphan. Zia worked very hard but struggled with relationships and people. The corks will be popping in party HQ this evening. Reform will power on.”

The issue now is who should replace Mr Yusuf.

One Farage ally said: “It needs to be a diplomat, not somebody like Zia who wanted to be front and centre all the time. It needs to be someone who can talk to the members, persuade people to give money to the cause and work behind the scenes. You need a backroom man and you can’t have two Caesars.”

The feeling, though, is that it also needs to be someone with their own funds and good business connections.

Another supporter said: “Nigel needs someone who can give money but also raise money. That’s going to be the most important job going forward if Reform is to succeed.”