Zia Yusuf, the chairman of Reform UK, has claimed that history will remember Boris Johnson as one of the most destructive prime ministers ever. In a recent interview on the Political Thinking podcast, Yusuf criticised the former prime minister’s record on immigration, public spending, and the Covid pandemic. The Reform UK chairman also criticised the Tories, calling them an “extremely left-wing party” while saying there is nothing Conservative about Johnson. Yusuf stated he wouldn’t welcome Johnson to Reform UK.
The BBC reached out to Johnson’s spokesperson for a comment. Yusuf’s comments come days after Reform UK topped the polls for the first time, with 24% support, edging in front of the Labour Party on 21%. The Brexit Party only received 14% of the vote in the latest round of polls. Yusuf claims Reform UK would win between 140 to 200 seats in the House of Commons if a general election were to occur tomorrow. However, there is no such polling data to support this claim.
Yusuf recently shared that Reform UK currently has nearly 200,000 members, an amount far surpassing the Conservative Party’s declared number. The chairman also revealed that Boris Johnson met with Reform UK’s main fundraiser, Nick Candy, an old friend of Johnson’s. Yusuf stated that he wouldn’t like Johnson to join the party. In comparison, Yusuf praised Suella Braverman, a former Home Secretary, and claimed she would be welcome in Reform UK. Yusuf placed significant emphasis on reforming immigration, which Braverman shares far-sighted views on.
Yusuf became Reform UK’s chairman after last year’s general election, after being a member of the Conservative Party. He described himself as a “proud British Muslim patriot” and highlighted his faith as an essential part of his identity. As the party chairman, his job was to professionalise the party, win donors, and expand Reform UK’s activist base. The chairman also donated £200,000 to the party during the campaign. There are only 24 employees in Reform UK, according to Yusuf
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