{"id":278122,"date":"2025-06-06T23:40:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T23:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/starmer-believes-its-too-early-to-write-reforms-political-obituary\/"},"modified":"2025-06-06T23:40:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T23:40:39","slug":"starmer-believes-its-too-early-to-write-reforms-political-obituary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=278122","title":{"rendered":"Starmer Believes It’s Too Early To Write Reform’s Political Obituary"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Nigel Farage <\/a>knows more than most about surviving near-death experiences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Reform<\/a> UK leader was campaigning for one of his previous parties, Ukip<\/a>, on the day of the 2010 election when the light aircraft he was travelling in plunged to the ground<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Miraculously, he walked away from the wreckage and, after several more failed attempts, was finally elected to Westminster last July.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In similar fashion, those who believe that Zia Yusuf\u2019s dramatic resignation<\/a> as Reform\u2019s chairman on Thursday night will inevitably lead to the party\u2019s implosion are very likely to be disappointed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That is certainly not how the development is being viewed in 10 Downing Street.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One senior ally of Keir Starmer told HuffPost UK: \u201cTheir success is because of how pissed off people are with the state of the country, not because of any great love for them or Nigel Farage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSo it would be a mistake to think that they will just disappear because they are a bunch of clowns.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nevertheless, many could not resist the temptation to revel in Reform\u2019s discomfort, pointing out that internal splits have been a recurring feature of Farage\u2019s political career.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Indeed, it is only three months since Rupert Lowe, one of the five Reform MPs elected at the last election, was booted out of the party<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Gavin Barwell, the former Tory MP who was Theresa May\u2019s chief of staff when she was PM, described Yusuf\u2019s resignation as the \u201cleast surprising political news ever\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Posting on X, he said: \u201cNigel Farage is incapable of sharing the stage. Sooner or later, anyone who tries to do so gets pushed off it. The only surprise is that they seem surprised when it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Least surprising political news ever. @Nigel_Farage<\/a> is incapable of sharing the stage. Sooner or later, anyone who tries to do so gets pushed off it. The only surprise is that they seem surprised when it happens https:\/\/t.co\/djOw1Vz8vT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Gavin Barwell (@GavinBarwell) June 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That view seemed to be reinforced by the resignation <\/a>of Nathaniel Fried, the tech entrepreneur Zia Yusuf unveiled on Monday as head of Reform\u2019s Doge<\/a>-style cost-cutting unit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But Chris Hopkins, political research director at pollsters Savanta, cautioned against over-interpreting the significance of Yusuf\u2019s departure, insisting there is little reason to believe it will damage Reform\u2019s standing with voters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe public aren\u2019t going to care hugely about a party chairman resigning,\u201d he said. \u201cAny idea of Zia Yusuf being that important to voters and that Reform should be written off because he\u2019s gone, I think is incredibly premature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cUnless Farage himself is involved in serious controversy, or has to step aside, then Reform are going to continue to be strong.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Further evidence of the right-wing party\u2019s durability came just a few hours after Yusuf announced on X that he no longer believed that \u201cworking to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Although they came third in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election<\/a>, it was the size of their vote share \u2013 26% \u2013 that made political observers sit up and take notice less than a year out from the next Scottish Parliament election.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For a party which did not even exist the last time the seat was contested in 2021, and which has no organisational apparatus to speak of in Scotland, it was a remarkable result.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Luke Tryl of the More in Common think-tank said Reform \u201chave clearly built a credible base of support since the general election in Scotland\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIf, and it\u2019s a real if given their recent turmoil, they can hold it together they could be a formidable force in the Scottish Parliament next year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Reform UK insiders believe Yusuf\u2019s resignation could even turn out to be a good thing for the party, not least because it will be welcomed by many party workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe\u2019s a hard worker and totally committed, but he\u2019s not a good man manager,\u201d said one source. \u201cThere won\u2019t be many tears shed at HQ that he\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Others have sympathy with him, insisting that Yusuf should not have been expected to put up with the online abuse which came with the job.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One source said: \u201cThe amount of shit he got from people because he\u2019s Muslim would have been off the scale \u2013 why do you need that sort of shit?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe was working 15 hour days for eight months and wasn\u2019t even being paid.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s malice in him, he was just inexperienced when it came to politics. But there\u2019s no doubt that the work he did was at least in part responsible for the party\u2019s recent success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Gawain Towler, who was sacked as Reform\u2019s chief spin doctor by Yusuf, dismissed the idea that the chairman\u2019s departure will precipitate the party\u2019s implosion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThose are just comfortable feelings for people who need comfort,\u201d he said. \u201cThe party will go onwards and upwards from here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Nigel<\/picture><\/div>\n
Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n