The chairman of Reform UK, Zia Yusuf, has resigned.
In a statement, Mr Yusuf said in a post on X that working to get the party elected is no longer “a good use of my time”.
He said: “11 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.”
Politics latest: PM dodges more questions on benefits
It comes after a row in which he described a question to Sir Keir Starmer about a ban on burkas from his party’s newest MP Sarah Pochin as “dumb”.
There have also been reports Mr Yusuf had been sidelined.
Politics latest: Reform UK chairman resigns after falling out with party MP over ‘burka ban’
Kemi Badenoch to launch review into ECHR exit
Andy Burnham: ‘Nigel Farage could become PM – this is how Labour can stop him’
Rupert Lowe, a former Reform MP, was strongly critical of Mr Yusuf in the wake of the politician’s suspension following allegations that he had threatened violence towards the party chair.
Many credited businessman Mr Yusuf with professionalising the party’s operations as they secured millions of votes at last year’s general election.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
