Friday, June 06, 2025
Dumb and Dumber?
They say that Sarah Pochin, who was elected in last month's Runcorn by-election, yesterday demanded the government ban the burka face covering, the problem is that this is not actually party policy:
During Prime Minister's Questions, she asked Keir Starmer whether he would be joining countries including France, Denmark and Belgium in banning the face and body covering worn by some Muslim women.
Reform UK distanced itself from the question, confirming that a burqa ban is "not party policy". They added there needs to be a "national debate" about it.
Zia Yusuf, Reform's chairman, today said it was "dumb" for Ms Pochin to ask the question if it was not something Reform was behind. His comment came after controversial commentator Katie Hopkins asked him on social media if he had been the one to say it was "not party policy". The far-right TV personality added: "Burka ban MUST be party policy."
Mr Yusuf replied: "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."
This row escalated during the day with the Guardian reporting that Zia Yusuf has now resigned as the chair of Reform UK. Yusuf, who is a donor and businessman, said he was resigning after less than a year in the job because he did not believe working to get a Reform government elected was a good use of his time.
The paper says that his departure is a blow to Nigel Farage as he tries to professionalise his rapidly growing party, with political rivals saying it shows the Reform leader cannot work with other senior figures without falling out:
In a statement on X, Yusuf said: “Eleven months ago I became chairman of Reform.
“I’ve worked full-time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30%, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results. I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.”
Yusuf has been working on Reform’s new Elon Musk-style “department of government efficiency” (Doge) unit looking at cutting spending in councils where the party is in control.
The tech entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried, who was brought in this week with great fanfare to lead the unit, will also be departing alongside Yusuf, leaving the party’s plans to slash “waste” in local government in disarray.
Given that Yusuf and Fried have been leading the so-called efficiency drive in Reform-led councils this is a major blow to their agenda. It isn't helped by the Reform deputy leader, Richard Tice announcing that new employees in the ten councils now controlled by Reform will not be allowed to join the Local Government Pension Scheme and that existing staff already in the scheme will get lower pay rises to compensate for their pensions.
As such a move is likely to be illegal and lead to widespread strike action, one has to conclude that it isn't just the call for a burka ban that is dumb.
Comments:
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Is this Reforms Musk Trump fallout? USA 'DOGE' in trouble. UK 'Doge' sinking. Is he now leaving the sinking ship that is becoming more controversial?
Reform UK are so thick that they don't realize that Local Government workers already get smaller salaries to account for their pensions and actually contribute substantial amounts towards them from their salaries. Given that pensioners form the bulk of Reform's supporters, it does seem politically stupid to be targetting pensions.
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