Overview

• Zia Yusuf quit after branding MP Sarah Pochin’s question on banning the burqa at PMQs “dumb,” noting the measure was not official Reform UK policy.
• A party spokesman reiterated that a burqa ban is not part of Reform UK’s platform despite public support from MPs Sarah Pochin and Lee Anderson.
• Nigel Farage paid tribute to Yusuf’s role in professionalizing the party and securing recent electoral gains but acknowledged the pressures that led to his exit.
• Yusuf’s resignation came on the eve of the Holyrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, testing Reform UK’s surge in Scotland.
• Internal disputes have also included the suspension of MP Rupert Lowe, highlighting persistent unity challenges even as Reform UK leads national opinion polls.