In an extraordinary political about-face, Zia Yusuf has announced he will return to Reform UK with a new role just 48 hours after dramatically resigning as party chairman in a move that stunned Westminster.
The 38-year-old millionaire businessman revealed his decision was “born of exhaustion” after working “11 months as a volunteer to build a political party from scratch, with barely a single day off.”
In a remarkable statement posted on X this afternoon, Yusuf performed a complete reversal of his Thursday resignation, which had seen him declare that working to get Reform elected was no longer “a good use of my time.”
Flood of Support Changes Mind
The dramatic U-turn came after what Yusuf described as receiving “a huge number of lovely and heartfelt messages from people who have expressed their dismay at my resignation, urging me to reconsider.
“Having read the messages, I believe in these things more than ever,” Yusuf wrote. “I know the mission is too important and I cannot let people down.”
The former Goldman Sachs banker admitted his resignation tweet had been “a decision born of exhaustion” – a stunning admission from someone who had stormed out just two days earlier following a row over burqa ban comments.
New Role Revealed
Rather than returning as chairman, Yusuf will take on a new position focusing on Reform’s ambitious plans to slash government waste. He announced he will be “running the UK DOGE team to fight for taxpayers, as well as working on party policy and representing it in the media.
The UK DOGE – based on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in the United States – aims to root out wasteful spending in Reform-controlled councils across the country.
“Reform has come a long way since I was appointed Chairman, and has moved from ‘startup’ to ‘scaleup’,” Yusuf explained. Given this, and that we have now won power at a local level, I will focus on a new role.
Commitment ‘Redoubled’
In his statement, Yusuf reaffirmed his dedication to the party’s mission, declaring: “So, I will be continuing my work with Reform, my commitment redoubled.
He added: “I will continue to give all my time to the most important project of my life, getting a Reform government elected with Nigel as Prime Minister.”
The Scottish-born businessman, whose parents immigrated from Sri Lanka to work in the NHS, emphasized his motivations remained unchanged: “I only came into politics out of a sense of duty, to serve the country I love. The country that had been so kind to my parents and presented me with immense opportunity.”
The Resignation That Wasn’t
Yusuf’s original resignation on Thursday had followed a bitter row over new Reform MP Sarah Pochin’s call to ban the burqa during Prime Minister’s Questions. Yusuf had branded the question “dumb” for asking something that wasn’t party policy.
His departure statement had been particularly stinging, declaring: “I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.
The resignation had prompted party leader Nigel Farage to express being “genuinely sorry” about losing someone he described as “enormously talented” and “a huge factor in our success.
Political Earthquake
The whiplash-inducing reversal represents one of the most dramatic U-turns in recent British political history. Just 48 hours ago, Yusuf appeared to have burned his bridges with a resignation that sources described as him “storming off in a huff.”
Labour had mocked the chaos, with a spokesperson saying: “If Nigel Farage can’t manage a handful of politicians, how on earth could he run a country? He has fallen out with everyone he has ever worked with.”
The Liberal Democrats had joked that “by sacking himself, Zia Yusuf seems to be leading the ‘UK DOGE’ by example.
Reform’s Rollercoaster Week
The extraordinary events cap off a tumultuous week for Reform UK, which has seen:
- The burqa ban controversy at PMQs
- Yusuf’s shock resignation
- Entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried also quitting the DOGE project
- A by-election result in Scotland
- And now, Yusuf’s dramatic return
During his 11-month tenure as chairman, Yusuf had overseen significant growth, with Reform climbing from 14% to 30% in polls, quadrupling membership, and winning control of ten councils in May’s local elections.
Mission Continues
Despite the chaos, Yusuf’s return statement emphasized continuity of purpose: “Out of a sense of duty to do whatever I could to reverse decades of decline and make this a country one in which we could be excited for our children to grow up.”
He reaffirmed his belief that “Nigel Farage was the man to deliver that” vision for Britain.
The businessman, who made £31 million from selling his luxury concierge service Velocity Black to Capital One in 2023, had been Reform’s largest donor before becoming chairman.
Questions Remain
While Yusuf’s return may stabilize Reform in the short term, questions remain about:
- What his exact new role will entail
- Who will replace him as chairman
- Whether the burqa ban controversy has been resolved
- How the party will move forward from this week’s chaos
For now, Reform UK appears to have weathered another internal storm, but as one Westminster insider noted: “In politics, 48 hours is a lifetime – and Zia Yusuf has just lived through several.
As Reform continues its push to become a major force in British politics, all eyes will be on whether this dramatic reversal marks a new beginning – or simply papering over deeper cracks within the party.
