Nigel Farage slaps down Reform ally Zia Yusuf for branding ex-Defence Secretary ‘traitor’

Nigel Farage said he will give Reform ally Zia Yusuf a “ticking off” for branding a former Tory defence Secretary a “traitor” and a "moron". It followed a war of words between Mr Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman, and Sir Ben Wallace, a former Scots Guards Captain and Tory ex-defence secretary. When Mr Farage was asked if he agreed with Mr Yusuf's use of the word “traitor", he said: "That's too strong a word. I should give him a ticking off. Don’t worry.”

When pressed by The Sun on whether he would encourage Mr Yusuf to delete the post on X, Mr Farage said: “I’ll speak to him today, but yeah, it’s over the top.” Mr Yusuf had made the comments in response to the ex-defence secretary's criticism of Reform's immigration plans.

Mr Yusuf, alongside Mr Farage, had announced proposals to deport foreign national offenders to El Salvador and Kosovo.

But Sir Ben noted that the top foreign nationalities in UK prisons are Irish, Polish, Romanian, Albanian and people from the Baltics.

He added that the total number of foreign offenders “always hovered” around 10,000 to 11,000.

Sir Ben said: “Reform have to answer a) how they will force those countries to take these offenders. For decades they have refused to. B) if they won’t and then deport them but they are released how will that sit with their victims? And the Irish offenders will find it easy to return.”

But in response, Mr Yusuf said: “Incredible that this moron was Defence Secretary."

Mr Yusuf continued: "Our policy today is in direct response to your government’s failures.

“If their home countries won’t take back, their citizens that are languishing in our jails, we are renting spaces in countries like El Salvador to put them.

“They will serve their full jail terms there, and will be banned from ever coming back to Britain.

“They may well include some of the thousands of Afghans you imported, including those who had not been vetted properly and including Taliban fighters (!).

“You know, the ones you took a super injunction out to keep secret from the British people?

“That’s why I call you a traitor to Britain.

“You fit the dictionary definition Ben Wallace.”

Mr Farage wasn't the only Reform figure to criticise Mr Yusuf. High-profile Reform supporter Tim Montgomerie said: “This isn't acceptable from Zia. I don't agree with Ben Wallace on this issue but Zia's language and attitude towards any opponent is inappropriate and counter-productive.

“Opponents are opponents... they aren't enemies... or "moron"s.

“One of the biggest question marks over Nigel Farage's leadership is whether he brings Zia under control. Zia Yusuf is a man of huge talents but too much of his social media output is intemperate and reinforces Reform's number one problem: our negative tactical voting challenge.”