Zia Yusuf and Robert Jenrick have been scrapping it out online over Reform UK’s immigration policy in an embarrassing turn of events for the party.
You’d think that a party with only eight MPs wouldn’t have much issue getting everyone to sing from the same hymn sheet. But then again, that would be overestimating Reform’s competence.
Two of their most senior figures, Zia Yusuf and Robert Jenrick – who let’s not forget, have a history of not getting on – seem to disagree on what the party’s immigration policy should be.
On Sunday, Jenrick was speaking to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips when he was asked if he agreed with Restore Britain’s deportation policy.
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In particular, the Newark MP was asked about Restore’s plans to deport any foreign national legally living in the UK in social housing.
Jenrick said that under a Reform UK government, foreign nationals would need to meet certain criteria to remain in the country, such as being in employment or not earning enough money.
They would therefore not be able to renew their work visas under Reform’s controversial plans to scrap indefinite leave to remain and would be asked to leave the country.
The clip was shared by a far-right and pro-Restore account on X, which labelled Reform “weak sauce” and called for the mass deportation of every foreign national in UK social housing.
The post caught the attention of Reform’s Yusuf though – who called out his colleague Jenrick, saying his answer was “not Reform policy.”
Yusuf wrote: “As the person responsible for our deportation plan I want ensure people know where we stand: If a foreign national lives in social housing at taxpayer expense, they automatically fail our economic test and will be deported.”
The public disagreement seems to have once again highlighted Reform’s lack of competence.
Journalist Dan Hodges wrote that the party is in “open civil war” and are “experiencing a complete nervous breakdown,” whilst HuffPost UK’s political editor Kevin Schofield said Reform are “having a bit of a meltdown.”
Meanwhile, right-wing journalists and commentators were stunned by the spat.
The disagreement between Yusuf and Jenrick comes as Reform seem to be panicking about the threat of Restore in the upcoming Makerfield by-election.
After being backed by Elon Musk and other far-right accounts on X, Restore are keen to present themselves as a genuine threat in the by-election.
This has concerned Reform, with leader Nigel Farage whingeing about the world’s richest man getting involved in British politics.
Whilst Restore remain unlikely to win the Makerfield seat, there’s a real possibility that they will take enough votes away from Reform to torpedo the party’s hopes of beating Labour and Andy Burnham.