THE newly appointed chairman of the Reform party, Zia Yusuf, has responded to those questioning his decision to align with an anti-immigration party by calling them the true racists.
Yusuf, whose parents immigrated from Sri Lanka in the 1980s, said that his background has no bearing on his political views and that British values are under threat due to the rising numbers of immigrants.
“I was born in the UK. I was raised in the UK. So I’m British. My father came [to Britain] as a newly qualified doctor. My mother’s a nurse, and between them, they’ve given 50 years of service in the NHS," he told the Times.
“So no one understands better than I do about the contribution that migrants can make and have made to this country. But we have to talk about the numbers. We’re talking about numbers that are so enormous that they’re having such detrimental impacts to the quality of life of everyone in Britain, regardless of their race, regardless of their background.
“So the answer as to why I’m very passionate about this is because British values are under threat.”
A former banker at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs, Yusuf has become a successful entrepreneur, having built and sold a luxury concierge business.
Despite his elite background, he is determined to help Reform shed its controversial image and make it socially acceptable to vote for the party. He has invested £200,000 of his own money to aid Reform’s efforts in the upcoming elections.
Yusuf dismissed the idea that his stance on migration should be shaped by his parents' background as legal migrants, calling it "ridiculous." He criticised some on the left for using accusations of racism to discredit others, arguing that those who assume political views based on a person's appearance are, in fact, displaying racist behaviour themselves. "Pre-judging someone's political views based on their skin colour is the very definition of racism," he said.
The British Asian leader stressed that his parents' contributions as NHS workers demonstrate how migrants can positively impact the country. However, he believes the current scale of immigration is unsustainable and threatens the quality of life for everyone in the UK.
Yusuf’s mission as Reform’s chairman is to expand the party’s appeal beyond its core base, making it a viable alternative to the Labour and Tories in future elections.
He pointed out that Reform won 14 per cent of the vote in the recent general election despite lacking a strong grassroots presence. With 80,000 members and plans to build local associations, Yusuf is confident that Reform can become a significant political force, especially as disillusioned Labour voters may be drawn to the party.
He sees a unique opportunity for Reform to grow, given the challenges faced by both Labour and the Tories. According to Yusuf, Labour’s policies on issues like net-zero emissions could alienate voters, while the Tories remains divided and uninspiring.
Yusuf also rejected suggestions that his rapid rise within Reform is due to opportunism, stressing that he shares Nigel Farage’s vision and work ethic. He also highlighted Farage’s disdain for tokenism, further validating his appointment as chairman.
As Yusuf prepares to address Reform’s annual conference in Birmingham, he is optimistic about the party’s future.
In his opinion, with the right strategy, Reform can challenge the traditional political order and potentially lead Britain towards a new era of governance.
Zia Yusuf
Sunak with Boris Johnson
Sunak with Suella Braverman
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak with his wife Akshata Murty (left), their children Anoushka and Krishna and his mother-in-law Sudha Murty (second from left) are pictured during their visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra last month