CIVIL WAR ERUPTS IN REFORM UK: Party chairman brands own MP’s burka ban demand ‘DUMB’ as Farage’s troops turn on each other in explosive Commons row

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Zia Yusuf slams Sarah Pochin’s PMQs question as party splits down the middle over controversial face covering ban

Reform UK has descended into open warfare after party chairman Zia Yusuf publicly condemned one of his own MPs as “dumb” for demanding Britain ban the burka – in an extraordinary display of infighting that has left Nigel Farage’s troops at each other’s throats.

The explosive row erupted after Sarah Pochin, Reform’s newest MP who scraped victory in Runcorn and Helsby by just SIX votes, stunned the Commons yesterday by using her first ever Prime Minister’s Questions to call for a ban on the Muslim face covering.

In a bruising slap-down that has exposed deep divisions within Reform’s ranks, millionaire businessman Yusuf – himself a Muslim – took to social media to savage his colleague’s intervention, declaring it was “dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn’t do.”

The 38-year-old chairman, who donated hundreds of thousands to Reform before taking the top job in July, insisted he “had no idea about the question nor that it wasn’t policy” – a claim that raises serious questions about communication within Farage’s operation.

Pochin’s bombshell question sent shockwaves through Westminster as she asked Sir Keir Starmer: “Given the Prime Minister’s desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he, in the interests of public safety, follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others and ban the burka?

The intervention prompted audible gasps and groans from MPs across the chamber, with the Prime Minister pausing before delivering a withering put-down: “Can I welcome her to her place, but I’m not going to follow her down that line.”

But the real drama unfolded within Reform’s own ranks as the party immediately descended into chaos over whether banning face coverings was even official policy.

Party in disarray as top brass clash

Within hours, Reform’s leadership was openly contradicting each other in an embarrassing display of disunity:

• Lee Anderson, the party’s chief whip and Ashfield MP, immediately backed Pochin, declaring on social media: “Ban the burka? Yes we should. No one should be allowed to hide their identity in public.”
• Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, called Pochin’s question “brilliant” and demanded a “national debate” on the issue during a TalkTV interview.
• Nigel Farage himself waded in on GB News last night, backing calls for a debate and expanding the issue beyond religious garments. I was in Aberdeen on Monday, there was a mob there to meet me, an organisation called Antifa, and half of them had complete face coverings on so they would be unidentifiable,” he said.

The party leader added: “I don’t think face coverings in public places make sense, and I think we do deserve debate about that, which I see the burqa as being a part.

Meanwhile, a Reform spokesman was forced to clarify that banning the burka was “not party policy, but it needs a national debate, which is what the House is for” – a statement that only added to the confusion.

Yusuf under fire from far-right

The chairman’s criticism of Pochin has triggered a vicious backlash from the party’s far-right supporters, with controversial commentator Katie Hopkins mocking him on social media and questioning whether the Muslim businessman was secretly blocking anti-burka policies.

Actor-turned-activist Laurence Fox went even further, declaring: “There cannot be a valid opposition party in the UK with Zia Yusuf anywhere near it. A Britain focused party cannot have a Mohammedan as the chair.

The toxic reaction highlights the precarious position Yusuf occupies as a Muslim leader of a party whose supporters include those hostile to his faith – a contradiction that threatens to tear Reform apart.

Pochin defiant as she doubles down

Despite the chairman’s rebuke, Pochin remained unrepentant last night, telling GB News that Starmer had “dodged” her question because Labour fears losing Muslim votes.

“They do not want to go down this road, even though they know this is what the British people want from their Government,” she declared.

The new MP, who previously served as a Conservative councillor before defecting to Reform, insisted face coverings pose a “huge security risk” and prevent cultural integration.

“We don’t know who’s coming over on these boats, let alone who is underneath these Burqas. How can the police do their job?” she demanded.

When pressed on whether Reform officially backs a burka ban, Pochin admitted: “It’s not our party policy yet, we haven’t come to that decision yet, but I’m elected to represent my constituents.

A party at war with itself

The spectacular falling-out is just the latest sign of chaos within Reform’s ranks since their breakthrough at the general election.

The party has already lost MP Rupert Lowe, who was suspended in March following allegations he made physical threats against chairman Yusuf on “at least two occasions” – claims Lowe denies.

Reform councillor Donna Edmunds quit just days after May’s local elections with a blistering attack on Farage’s leadership, while the party has struggled to professionalise despite Yusuf’s attempts at reform.

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly waded into the row to defend Pochin, slamming Starmer’s dismissive response as “unacceptable behaviour” and insisting: “Refusing to answer MPs’ questions isn’t an option as a government minister.

But Labour MP Dan Tomlinson said he was “surprised” by Pochin’s choice of question, claiming “no one raised that issue with me” when campaigning in her constituency.

The millionaire Muslim at the heart of the storm

Yusuf’s journey to Reform’s chairmanship is as unlikely as it is controversial. Born in Scotland to Sri Lankan immigrants who worked for the NHS, the Hampton School-educated businessman made his fortune after founding a luxury concierge service that he sold for millions in 2023.

He first met Farage at a cocktail party hosted by Eurosceptic millionaire Stuart Wheeler and became Reform’s biggest donor before taking over as chairman from Richard Tice last July.

Describing himself as a “British Muslim patriot,” Yusuf has faced constant abuse from the party’s far-right fringe – abuse that Farage has never publicly condemned.

At Reform’s Birmingham rally last year, Yusuf delivered what he called a “love letter to Great Britain,” declaring: “I love Britain, I love my country.

But his position advocating for strict immigration controls while being the Muslim son of immigrants has always been a source of tension within a party that attracts support from those hostile to his faith.

What happens next?

The burka row has exposed the fundamental contradictions at Reform’s heart – a party trying to professionalise under Muslim leadership while maintaining support from those who view Islam as incompatible with British values.

With Pochin showing no signs of backing down and the chairman publicly condemning her as “dumb,” the stage is set for further confrontation.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson dodged questions about Labour’s position this morning, insisting “women can make their own choices as to what they want to wear” while refusing to rule out future action.

But the real question is whether Reform can survive this latest bout of infighting. With just six MPs but ambitions to challenge for power, the party can ill afford such public displays of disunity.

As one Westminster insider observed: “They’re meant to be taking on the establishment, but they can’t even agree among themselves. It’s amateur hour.”

For Farage, who has spent years building his political brand, the challenge is clear: can he hold together a coalition that includes both Muslim millionaires and burka ban supporters?

On current evidence, the answer appears to be no.