Senior Reform UK figures are reportedly building an informal alliance to prevent Zia Yusuf from succeeding Nigel Farage as party leader.
Robert Jenrick and Richard Tice are said to have reached an understanding that could see them work together against Yusuf if Farage steps down, according to The Observer.
Several party sources described the emerging faction as the “Anyone but Zia” group.
There is no current leadership contest and Farage has insisted he will lead Reform into the next general election. However, the reported manoeuvring offers a glimpse of the internal battle which could follow his eventual departure.
The claims emerged after Reform’s annual conference exposed tensions between Yusuf and several of the party’s most prominent figures.
One Reform councillor reportedly urged Farage to act now:
“Nigel has got to wake up and get rid of him.”
Another party source described Yusuf as a “slowly ticking timebomb”.
Jenrick and Tice reportedly form unofficial alliance
Jenrick, the former Conservative cabinet minister who now serves as Reform’s Treasury spokesman, is understood to have a difficult relationship with Yusuf.
Sources claimed Yusuf did not speak to Jenrick for several months after his defection from the Conservatives. Their relationship reportedly improved for a time, but Yusuf is now said to be giving him the silent treatment again.
Tice, meanwhile, is Reform’s deputy leader and previously led the party before standing aside for Farage ahead of the 2024 general election.
According to The Observer, figures inside Reform believe Jenrick may struggle to win a future leadership contest on his own because he lacks sufficient support among party members.
Tice is viewed as having a stronger chance with the membership. The two men are therefore said to understand that cooperation could be necessary if they want to stop Yusuf.
Sources stressed that no formal plot or organised leadership campaign currently exists. The reported discussions concern what could happen after Farage rather than an immediate attempt to remove him.
Yusuf remains popular with Reform members
Yusuf’s support among grassroots members may explain why his internal opponents are beginning to coordinate.
Although he does not currently sit in Parliament, he has become one of Reform’s most visible spokespeople and has built a national profile through television interviews and social media.
Yusuf previously served as Reform’s chairman and played an important role in professionalising the party’s campaigning operation.
He resigned from the chairmanship in June 2025 after clashing with colleagues over Sarah Pochin’s call for a ban on the burqa. Two days later, he reversed the decision and returned to the party in a different role.
He now serves as Reform’s home affairs spokesman, although he has referred to himself as the party’s shadow home secretary.
During his conference speech, Farage used the title “home affairs spokesman”. That choice was interpreted by some insiders as a deliberate attempt to limit Yusuf’s status, although Reform has not confirmed that suggestion.
Reform MPs reportedly concerned by Yusuf’s rhetoric
The opposition to Yusuf is said to stretch beyond Jenrick and Tice.
Danny Kruger, who is leading Reform’s preparations for government, is reportedly uncomfortable with Yusuf’s increasingly hardline language.
Kruger was particularly close to James Orr, Reform’s former head of policy, who stepped away from his role following the Channel 4 News investigation into alleged foreign funding arrangements.
Orr’s departure is said to have left Kruger more isolated inside the party.
Pochin and Reform chairman Lee Anderson are also believed to have concerns about Yusuf’s influence. Anderson was reportedly heard using an expletive to describe him during the Birmingham conference.
The Observer also reported that Farage had used a separate expletive while discussing Yusuf.
A Reform spokesperson played down the claims, insisting Anderson and Yusuf have a good relationship. The spokesperson also disputed suggestions that Kruger was unhappy.
Farage previously promised Yusuf a ‘ticking off’
Relations between Farage and Yusuf came under pressure in August after Yusuf called former defence secretary Ben Wallace a “traitor to Britain”.
The attack followed Wallace’s criticism of Reform’s plan to deport foreign prisoners to countries including El Salvador.
Farage publicly distanced himself from Yusuf’s language and said he would give him “a ticking off”. He also indicated that Yusuf would be asked to remove the post.
The message remained online.
Tim Montgomerie, who had recently defected from the Conservatives to Reform, publicly criticised Yusuf’s language. He was subsequently suspended from the party after a series of disputes with its leadership.
Some Reform sources have since claimed Farage’s rebuke was meant sarcastically and did not represent a serious break between the two men.
Labour candidate tweet caused further tensions
Yusuf faced another row after commenting on Sagal Abdi-Wali, who is considered a leading contender to become Labour’s candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
In a post on X, Yusuf highlighted Abdi-Wali’s Somali background while questioning Labour’s direction under Andy Burnham.
The comments led to accusations of racism from Labour figures and prompted another round of negative headlines for Reform.
The Reform councillor quoted by The Observer said the party’s conference announcements had been overshadowed by Yusuf’s post and the funding controversy involving Orr and Dan Jukes.
The councillor said journalists were not responsible for the damaging coverage because Reform’s own figures had created the stories.
Funding scandal exposes existing divisions
The row over Yusuf broke into the open as Reform attempted to contain the fallout from an undercover investigation by Verbatim and Channel 4 News.
Orr and Jukes were secretly filmed discussing polling payments and a possible donation from people they believed represented a wealthy American businessman.
Reform denies breaking electoral law and says no illegal donation was accepted. Orr and Jukes also deny wrongdoing.
Both men stepped away from their positions while the party launched an internal investigation.
Their departure appears to have unsettled an already divided senior team. Jukes was a longstanding Farage aide, while Orr was closely connected to Kruger and influential in developing Reform’s policy platform.
Some insiders reportedly expect Jukes eventually to return in either an official or informal capacity. Orr’s prospects of returning are considered less certain.
Reform denies leadership rift
Reform has rejected suggestions that its senior team is falling apart.
The party insists Farage remains firmly in control and that the internal investigation into Orr and Jukes will establish that Reform broke no laws.
Supporters of Yusuf also point to his popularity among members and argue that criticism from colleagues reflects concern about his growing influence.
Farage recently told ITV’s Robert Peston that he would definitely lead Reform into the next election. He also acknowledged Yusuf’s political ambitions but described him as a talented communicator.
That means any succession contest remains hypothetical.
The reported creation of an “Anyone but Zia” faction, however, suggests some of Reform’s most senior figures are already thinking about what happens when Farage is no longer leader.
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