Norman Strauss
My strategy got the Iron Lady into office – this is what our nation's leaders need to know about governing
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BBC News
18 minutes ago
- BBC News
Richard Tice denies Reform UK in chaos after Zia Yusuf returns
Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has insisted the party knows "exactly what it is doing" following a 48 hours in which its chairman Zia Yusuf resigned, before returning in a different Thursday, Yusuf dramatically quit, saying in a social media post that trying to get the party elected was not "a good use of my time".However, two days later he said he would be coming back to lead the party's unit tasked with identifying spending cuts at councils, which is inspired by the US Department of Government told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that chairing the party was "a tough, brutal job" and Yusuf was "essentially exhausted" after 11 months in the role. "It's a massive job, and as we were growing incredibly fast - essentially that job was too much for one person, so we're reorganising."I'm delighted that Zia is staying with the party and he's going to be focusing on our Doge unit." Yusuf announced his initial decision to quit in a social media post but did not expand on his reasons for leaving. However, it came shortly after he criticised Sarah Pochin - Reform's newest MP - who used her question at Prime Minister's Question to ask if the government would ban the burka, a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers their face and body. Asked about Pochin's intervention on X, Yusuf - who is a Muslim - said: "Nothing to do with me. Had no idea about the question nor that it wasn't policy. "Busy with other stuff. I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do."Announcing his decision to return to the party on Saturday, Yusuf said his initial resignation was "born of exhaustion" following "11 months [of] hard work and exhaustion".Party leader Nigel Farage said Yusuf had been subject to "pretty vile abuse" adding: "He overreacted to it and he admits himself it was a mistake."The Liberal Democrats said Reform UK were playing "musical chairman" while Labour characterised the events as a "humiliating hokey-cokey".Asked if it made the party look chaotic, Tice said: "No, we know exactly what we're doing."He continued: "Zia was essentially exhausted because he'd been working 24/7 for the last 10 or 11 months voluntarily."There's high pressure, it's a big, tough, brutal job chairing a fast growing political party. But it's great news he's with us, on we go."The party is expected to appoint a new chairman and deputy chairman next week.
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Zia Yusuf's return to Reform UK ‘great news', says deputy leader
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has said it is 'great news' that Zia Yusuf is returning to the party just 48 hours after quitting as its chairman, adding he has 'done a brilliant job in growing the party'. Mr Yusuf said his decision to stand down had been the result of 'exhaustion' and working for 11 months 'without a day off'. Party leader Nigel Farage, speaking to the Sunday Times newspaper alongside Mr Yusuf, said the former chairman will now effectively be doing 'four jobs', though his title has not yet been decided. He will lead Reform's plans to cut public spending – the so-called 'UK Doge', based on the US Department of Government Efficiency which was led by tech billionaire Elon Musk. The ex-chairman will also take part in policymaking, fundraising and media appearances. Mr Yusuf said he was quitting Reform following the latest in a series of internal rows, in which he described a question to the Prime Minister concerning a ban on burkas from his party's newest MP as 'dumb'. On Sunday, it was put to Mr Tice that it does not look very professional for Reform's chairman to be in, out, then back in again. He told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'Zia Yusuf has done a brilliant job in growing the party, creating huge infrastructure, over 400 branches, but it's a massive job and as we were growing incredibly fast, essentially that job was too much for one person, so we're reorganising, and I'm delighted that Zia is staying with the party, and he's going to be focusing on our Doge unit. 'There is so much waste you've been talking about, how does the Government find more money? 'Well, the best thing is to stop wasting money. I'm afraid, what we're discovering as we look under the bonnet of the 10 councils that we are now in control of, is there's waste everywhere, and it's got to stop. 'That's what Zia is going to focus on, as well as fundraising. So it's great news he's with us.' Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Chris Philp called Reform UK a 'protest party' and said it is offering 'populist policies that are essentially Liz Truss on steroids'. Asked if it is time for the Conservatives to think about a more constructive approach to Reform, he told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News: 'Nigel Farage is saying he wants to destroy the Conservative Party, which makes it quite difficult to work together. 'I mean, they're all essentially a protest party. 'You just asked about Liz Truss… they're offering populist policies that are essentially Liz Truss on steroids.' Announcing his resignation on Thursday afternoon, Mr Yusuf said: 'I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.' Mr Yusuf said he had been left feeling undervalued by some in the party and drained after being subjected to relentless racist abuse on X, and that he made the comments in 'error'. He added: 'I spoke to Nigel and said I don't mind saying I made an error. It was a function of exhaustion.' Asked about the row over talk of banning the burka, Mr Yusuf said he 'certainly did not resign because I have any strong views about the burka itself' but felt blindsided by Sarah Pochin's question to Sir Keir Starmer. He said: 'If there were a vote and I was in Parliament, I would probably vote to ban it actually,' but that 'philosophically I am always a bit uneasy about banning things which, for example, would be unconstitutional in the United States, which such a ban no doubt would be'.
BreakingNews.ie
25 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Oleksandr Usyk sends Donald Trump ‘live in my house for one week' message
Oleksandr Usyk has invited United States president Donald Trump to live in his house for one week to better understand what is unfolding in the war in Ukraine. Trump vowed to resolve the conflict 'in 24 hours' upon taking office but more than three years on from Russia president Vladimir Putin launching a full scale invasion of Ukraine, no end appears in sight. Advertisement Usyk, the former undisputed world champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight, painted a bleak picture of what life is like in Ukraine and believes Trump needs to have a clearer comprehension of the situation. 'I advise American president Donald Trump to go to Ukraine and live in my house for one week, only one week,' Usyk, the WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion, told the BBC. Oleksandr Usyk is the WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion (Nick Potts/PA) 'Watch what is going on. Every night there are bombs, rockets flying above my house. Sport Merab Dvalishvili stops Sean O'Malley in Round 3 a... Read More 'People who don't live in Ukraine, who don't support Ukraine, who haven't watched what's going on, don't understand what's going on.' Advertisement Usyk, who has won all 23 of his professional contests, is currently in a training camp to prepare for a rematch with IBF champion Daniel Dubois on July 19 at Wembley Stadium. 'I worry about what happens in my country,' 38-year-old Usyk added. 'It's very bad because Ukrainian people have died. It's not just military people – children, women, grandmothers and grandfathers, too.'
