Tim Montgomerie claimed there are ‘lots of camps’ within the Reform UK fold, as he brutally criticised Nigel Farage’s leadership and suggested Zia Yusuf is positioning himself as a leadership contender
Nigel Farage’s leadership abilities have been called into question again(Image: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
One of Reform UK’s highest profile supporters has quit the party and hinted Zia Yusuf is plotting to take over, as the party descends into civil war.
Tim Montgomerie, who was suspended last month after criticising Nigel Farage and Mr Yusuf, said there are “lots of camps” and said the leader needs to “get a grip”.
In a scathing series of interviews, the political commentator said he would not be rejoining, accusing Mr Farage of losing control over factions. It comes amid growing criticism of Mr Yusuf, who describes himself as Shadow Home Secretary despite not even being an MP.
Lifting the lid on chaos at the top of Reform, Mr Montgomerie told The Telegraph he “wants no part in it”. He said: “Nigel has failed to make clear what’s acceptable and what isn’t.”
And he said: “There are too many people in that building [Reform HQ] who don’t know what they’re doing. They need to be more professional.” He went on to say that huge splits have appeared in the party, stating: “There are lots of camps.”
He went on to single out Mr Yusuf – who was last week branded a “racist clown” by Piers Morgan after he criticised Labour for shortlisting a Somali-born council leader to succeed Keir Starmer in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election.
Mr Montgomerie hinted to GB News that Mr Yusuf could be plotting to take over as party leader. He said: “I think he freelances too much on policy, he’s undermined party policies. I don’t know how he gets away with it.”
And he continued: “And I just do not know why Zia carries on like this, unless his primary aim is to be party leader and curry favour with the Reform vote rather than help Nigel Farage become Prime Minister. I don’t understand his actions if his primary motivation is to win the next election.”
And in a further interview with the BBC, he accused Reform of trying to imitate Germany’s far right AfD party. He said: “I want to still be a supporter, but that requires them being more like Reform and less like the AfD.”
Mr Montgomerie, who set up the ConservativeHome website before defecting to Reform, said Mr Farage needs to “get a grip”. He said the party leader had been “brilliant” at policing the right, adding: “But for the sake of his legacy and the sake of decency he needs to sort it out, and bring people like Zia [Yusuf] under control.”
He was suspended after criticising Mr Farage for not attending the Clacton by-election count and hitting out at Mr Yusuf, saying people “cannot behave like a child” in politics.
It comes amid growing Reform turmoil following a Channel 4 sting which saw secret footage of Mr Farage broadcast. Police have been urged to investigate explosive allegations that the party knowingly accepted foreign donations to pay for polls that weren’t declared by Reform.
Two of the leader’s closest aides, Dan Jakes and Richard Orr, were suspended on Friday morning as the crisis deepened.
On Saturday, Reform frontbencher Suella Braverman denied that senior figures were on leadership manoeuvres. Asked by The Mirror whether she thought Mr Yusuf or Robert Jenrick were jostling to take over, she said: “The simple answer is no. Listen, I’ve seen a lot of skulduggery, let’s say, within the Conservative Party.
“And it’s another reason why I left. Actually, no one could really be trusted and I obviously couldn’t trust the Conservative Party any longer. And I’ve been really uplifted by the sense of unity and joint mission and teamwork that’s that defines the top team in the shadow team.
“So, no, listen, I know we’re all behind 100% Nigel. I want him to be Prime Minister. So does Robert, so does Zia. And we’re not going to stop working and fighting until we achieve that goal.”
