Why Keir Starmer Believes It's Far Too Early To Write Reform UK's Political Obituary

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had a tricky week after his chairman Zia Yusuf (R) unexpectedly resigned.Nigel Farage knows more than most about surviving near-death experiences.The Reform UK leader was campaigning for one of his previous parties, Ukip, on the day of the 2010 election when the light aircraft he was travelling in plunged to the ground.Miraculously, he walked away from the wreckage and, after several more failed attempts, was finally elected to Westminster last July.In similar fashion, those who believe that Zia Yusuf’s dramatic resignation as Reform’s chairman on Thursday night will inevitably lead to the party’s implosion are very likely to be disappointed.That is certainly not how the development is being viewed in 10 Downing Street.One senior ally of Keir Starmer told HuffPost UK: “Their success is because of how pissed off people are with the state of the country, not because of any great love for them or Nigel Farage.“So it would be a mistake to think that they will just disappear because they are a bunch of clowns.”Nevertheless, many could not resist the temptation to revel in Reform’s discomfort, pointing out that internal splits have been a recurring feature of Farage’s political career.Indeed, it is only three months since Rupert Lowe, one of the five Reform MPs elected at the last election, was booted out of the party.Gavin Barwell, the former Tory MP who was Theresa May’s chief of staff when she was PM, described Yusuf’s resignation as the “least surprising political news ever”.Posting on X, he said: “Nigel Farage is incapable of sharing the stage. Sooner or later, anyone who tries to do so gets pushed off it. The only surprise is that they seem surprised when it happens.”Least surprising political news ever. @Nigel_Farage is incapable of sharing the stage. Sooner or later, anyone who tries to do so gets pushed off it. The only surprise is that they seem surprised when it happens https://t.co/djOw1Vz8vT— Gavin Barwell (@GavinBarwell) June 5, 2025That view seemed to be reinforced by the resignation of Nathaniel Fried, the tech entrepreneur Zia Yusuf unveiled on Monday as head of Reform’s Doge-style cost-cutting unit.But Chris Hopkins, political research director at pollsters Savanta, cautioned against over-interpreting the significance of Yusuf’s departure, insisting there is little reason to believe it will damage Reform’s standing with voters.“The public aren’t going to care hugely about a party chairman resigning,” he said. “Any idea of Zia Yusuf being that important to voters and that Reform should be written off because he’s gone, I think is incredibly premature.“Unless Farage himself is involved in serious controversy, or has to step aside, then Reform are going to continue to be strong.”Further evidence of the right-wing party’s durability came just a few hours after Yusuf announced on X that he no longer believed that “working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time”.Although they came third in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, it was the size of their vote share – 26% – that made political observers sit up and take notice less than a year out from the next Scottish Parliament election.For a party which did not even exist the last time the seat was contested in 2021, and which has no organisational apparatus to speak of in Scotland, it was a remarkable result.Luke Tryl of the More in Common think-tank said Reform “have clearly built a credible base of support since the general election in Scotland”.“If, and it’s a real if given their recent turmoil, they can hold it together they could be a formidable force in the Scottish Parliament next year,” he said.Reform UK insiders believe Yusuf’s resignation could even turn out to be a good thing for the party, not least because it will be welcomed by many party workers.“He’s a hard worker and totally committed, but he’s not a good man manager,” said one source. “There won’t be many tears shed at HQ that he’s gone.”Others have sympathy with him, insisting that Yusuf should not have been expected to put up with the online abuse which came with the job.One source said: “The amount of shit he got from people because he’s Muslim would have been off the scale – why do you need that sort of shit?“He was working 15 hour days for eight months and wasn’t even being paid.“I don’t think there’s malice in him, he was just inexperienced when it came to politics. But there’s no doubt that the work he did was at least in part responsible for the party’s recent success.”Gawain Towler, who was sacked as Reform’s chief spin doctor by Yusuf, dismissed the idea that the chairman’s departure will precipitate the party’s implosion.“Those are just comfortable feelings for people who need comfort,” he said. “The party will go onwards and upwards from here.”Nigel Farage and Zia YusufRelated...Labour Win Crunch By-Election In Stunning UpsetNigel Farage Accused Of Using Trump Tactics After Attacking Journalist At Press ConferenceNigel Farage Sparks Fresh Race Row By Making Another Bizarre Claim About Labour Leader

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