UMVA has learned that a fierce internal battle is tearing apart the Reform Party over a controversial deportation plan.
During a televised interview, Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick announced a bold move to eliminate income tax on overtime for workers earning under £75,000, only to be hit with a probing question about the party’s social‑housing stance.
When asked whether a legally resident foreigner living in taxpayer‑funded social housing would face deportation, Jenrick replied that visa renewal would depend on work hours and earnings, not merely housing status.
Hours later, Reform’s Home Affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf blasted the response, insisting the party’s official policy was crystal clear: any foreign national residing in social housing automatically fails the economic test and is slated for removal.
The clash ignited a simmering feud that dates back to Yusuf’s departure from the Conservatives, and even a brief 48‑hour resignation over a burqa‑ban dispute with fellow MP Sarah Pochin.
Yusuf’s fiery rhetoric also placed him at the heart of a scandal that saw former party member Rupert Lowe expelled and investigated by police, cementing his reputation as a polarising figure within Reform.
After his ouster, Lowe founded the far‑right movement Restore Britain, fielding a handful of candidates in recent local elections and miraculously winning every seat it contested in Great Yarmouth.
Now, Restore Britain is poised to make its first major splash in a national contest, targeting the Makerfield by‑election where Nigel Farage’s allies fear a vote‑splitting surge.
A recent telephone poll shows Labour’s Andy Burnham leading with 43%, Reform’s Robert Kenyon close behind at 40%, and Restore’s Rebecca Shepherd polling at 7%.
The numbers suggest that even a modest surge for Restore could tip the balance, turning a tight race into a decisive battle for Reform’s future.
With three weeks remaining and tensions running high, the unfolding power struggle may reshape the party’s trajectory and redefine the political landscape.
