Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice has insisted the party knows “exactly what it is doing” following a 48 hours in which its chairman Zia Yusuf resigned, before returning in a different role.
On Thursday, Yusuf dramatically quit, saying in a social media post that trying to get the party elected was not “a good use of my time”.
However, two days later he said he would be coming back to lead the party’s unit tasked with identifying spending cuts at councils, which is inspired by the US Department of Government Efficiency.
Tice told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that chairing the party was “a tough, brutal job” and Yusuf was “essentially exhausted” after 11 months in the role.
“It’s a massive job, and as we were growing incredibly fast – essentially that job was too much for one person, so we’re reorganising.
“I’m delighted that Zia is staying with the party and he’s going to be focusing on our Doge unit.”
Yusuf announced his initial decision to quit in a social media post but did not expand on his reasons for leaving.
However, it came shortly after he criticised Sarah Pochin – Reform’s newest MP – who used her question at Prime Minister’s Question to ask if the government would ban the burka, a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers their face and body.
Asked about Pochin’s intervention on X, Yusuf – who is a Muslim – said: “Nothing to do with me. Had no idea about the question nor that it wasn’t policy.
“Busy with other stuff. I do think it’s dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn’t do.”
Announcing his decision to return to the party on Saturday, Yusuf said his initial resignation was “born of exhaustion” following “11 months [of] hard work and exhaustion”.
Party leader Nigel Farage said Yusuf had been subject to “pretty vile abuse” adding: “He overreacted to it and he admits himself it was a mistake.”
The Liberal Democrats said Reform UK were playing “musical chairman” while Labour characterised the events as a “humiliating hokey-cokey”.
Asked if it made the party look chaotic, Tice said: “No, we know exactly what we’re doing.”
He continued: “Zia was essentially exhausted because he’d been working 24/7 for the last 10 or 11 months voluntarily.
“There’s high pressure, it’s a big, tough, brutal job chairing a fast growing political party. But it’s great news he’s with us, on we go.”
The party is expected to appoint a new chairman and deputy chairman next week.