Zia Yusuf was brought in as Reform UK chair less than a year ago, with Nigel Farage hoping the millionaire entrepreneur would help to “professionalise” his party.

Only this week, he was leading ‘UK DOGE’ - Reform’s attempt to copy Elon Musk’s cost-cutting drive in the US federal government.

But on Wednesday, long-bubbling tensions within Reform boiled over.

When newbie MP Sarah Pochin asked Keir Starmer whether he wanted to ban the burqa at PMQs this week, it was a deliberate attempt to provoke controversy and attract attention. But it has backfired spectacularly.

On Thursday morning, Zia Yusuf - who is a practising Muslim - said he had no idea the question was going to be asked and labelled it “dumb” because banning the burqa was not even Reform UK policy.

Hours later, he told Fa

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