Zia Yusuf’s 48-hour resignation from Reform UK has all the drama and credibility of a child storming out of the house with a packed rucksack, only to return sheepishly before tea.
It’s the kind of political hokey-cokey that raises eyebrows across the spectrum – and raises questions about leadership, consistency, and party maturity.
Politicians experience burnout
To be clear, political figures are human. Burnout happens. Exhaustion is real. Yusuf has been frank about feeling overwhelmed after nearly a year of working without a break to professionalise Reform UK – even donating £200,000 of his own money in the process.
But stepping down on a Thursday, declaring the party no longer a “good use” of his time, and returning by Saturday in a new role, stretches the bounds of professionalism.
A quick U-turn
It’s not just the speed of the U-turn that’s notable – it’s the lack of clarity. One day, Yusuf appears disillusioned with the party’s direction. The next, he’s at the helm of a new initiative modelled on Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” and preparing for more media visibility.
There is no clear explanation beyond vague references to being “blindsided” and “inundated” with messages from supporters.
This isn’t the behaviour of a party ready to govern. Yusuf may now be tasked with leading efficiency reviews in local councils, but the irony won’t be lost on voters. Reform UK, which surged in the polls and touts itself as a bold alternative to establishment chaos, now looks alarmingly like the very instability it claims to oppose.
Farage acting pragmatically
Farage’s embrace of Yusuf’s return may be politically pragmatic, but it underscores a deeper truth: Reform is still a party in flux. And if its senior figures can’t stick to decisions for more than 48 hours, the public may begin to wonder if it’s more performance than policy – more theatre than transformation.
