Reform Civil War Erupts Over Zia Yusuf Calling Tory Traitor

A senior Reform UK figure has condemned Zia Yusuf for calling a former Tory cabinet minister who served in the Army “a traitor to Britain”.

In a further sign of the tensions at the top of the party, Tim Montgomerie went public to say Yusuf’s comments were “inappropriate and counter-productive”.

Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, hit out at former defence secretary Ben Wallace after he criticised the party’s plan to fix the shortage of prison spaces by sending foreign criminals abroad.

Writing on X, he said: “Incredible that this moron was defence secretary.

“Our policy today is in direct response to your government’s failures.

“If their home countries won’t take back, their citizens that are languishing in our jails, we are renting spaces in countries like El Salvador to put them.

“They will serve their full jail terms there, and will be banned from ever coming back to Britain.

“They may well include some of the thousands of Afghans you imported, including those who had not been vetted properly and including Taliban fighters (!).

“You know, the ones you took a super injunction out to keep secret from the British people? That’s why I call you a traitor to Britain. You fit the dictionary definition.”

But Wallace hit back: “Oh look a lesson from a man who never put a uniform on…just worked at bank.

“A man who is literally making policy and facts up.”

Commenting on the spat on X, Montgomerie – a leading political commentator who quit the Tories to join Reform – said Yusuf’s language “isn’t acceptable”.

He said: “I don’t agree with Ben Wallace on this issue but Zia’s language and attitude towards any opponent is inappropriate and counter-productive.

“Opponents are opponents… they aren’t enemies… or “moron”s. One of the biggest question marks over Nigel Farage’s leadership is whether he brings Zia under control.

“ZY is a man of huge talents but too much of his social media output is intemperate and reinforces Reform’s number one problem: our negative tactical voting challenge.”

Montgomerie went on to say that he had raised the issue of Yusuf’s language “privately and repeatedly” with both him and Farage.

But despite his comments, Yusuf doubled down on his attack on Monday night.

Responding to Wallace on X, he said: “You imported thousands of Afghans to Britain without proper vetting, at a cost of billions to the British taxpayer.

“Some were literal Taliban fighters, others were kicked out of the Afghan army for sexual misconduct. You flew them to Britain in secret. You took out a superinjunction to keep the British people in the dark.

“PS: you want to talk about banks? You have made vast sums by hawking yourself out to private banks – where you then viciously attack Nato allies. Your actions constitute treachery, and many serving in the military use that word to describe you.”

Following the alleged murder of Ann Widdecombe, Yusuf called for an end to the “hostility” aimed at Reform, which he said was putting their politicians at risk.

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