Disagreement Within Reform UK on Deportation Policy
Zia Yusuf has publicly expressed disagreement with his Reform UK colleague Robert Jenrick regarding the specifics of the party's deportation policy.
Robert Jenrick, serving as the Treasury spokesman, stated that foreign nationals would not be removed solely because they reside in social housing, but also if they are not employed or do not earn sufficient income.
Contrastingly, Zia Yusuf, the home affairs spokesman, clarified that Jenrick's statement was "not Reform policy". Yusuf emphasized that the party intends to remove foreign nationals living in social housing "at taxpayer expense" from the UK.
Home Office minister Mike Tapp criticized Reform UK by saying they were "making it up as they go along", while Conservative MP Chris Philp commented that this internal disagreement demonstrated Reform was "not a serious party".
Context of the Policy Debate
The disagreement arose after Jenrick was questioned about how Reform UK's deportation policy compares to that of Restore Britain, a party led by Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe, during a interview on Sunday.
Restore Britain has established criteria for deporting foreign nationals legally residing in the UK, which includes residency in social housing as a factor.
Reform UK has proposed abolishing indefinite leave to remain (ILR) — a status that typically grants foreign nationals access to benefits such as social housing — and requiring migrants to reapply for new time-limited visas under stricter conditions.
Jenrick's Explanation of Reform UK's Policy
During the interview, after outlining the proposed changes, Jenrick was asked whether a foreign national legally resident in the UK could be deported solely for living in social housing.
"Well, not exclusively because of that.
But if they fail to meet our criteria because they're not in work or they're not working as many hours, not earning enough money, then they won't be able to renew their work visa because ILR won't exist, and they will be asked to leave."
He added social housing would be "purely for British citizens".
Yusuf's Response to Jenrick's Comments
On Tuesday, Yusuf responded on X (formerly Twitter) to a clip of Jenrick's interview, stating:
"Robert's answer is not Reform policy.
As the person responsible for our deportation plan I want ensure people know where we stand:
If a foreign national lives in social housing at taxpayer expense, they automatically fail our economic test and will be deported."
Rivals of Reform UK interpreted Yusuf's post as evidence of disagreement between the two spokesmen.
However, sources close to Jenrick indicated that the position he expressed on was consistent with Yusuf's stance, suggesting that the social media clip did not fully represent Jenrick's complete comments during the interview.
Criticism from Other Political Figures
Labour's Home Office minister Mike Tapp stated:
"Reform don't have a plan and while they squabble amongst themselves, the government is actually bringing down immigration.
The Reform rag tag are in chaos, making it up as they go along."
Chris Philp, the Conservative shadow home secretary, added that Yusuf's post demonstrated Reform was "not a serious party" and contrasted this with the Conservative Party's deportation policy, which he said was "backed by proper detail and a real plan".
