Question Time audience skewers Reform UK Zia Yusuf with 'comedy act' jibe

Daily Mirror

a day ago

Zia Yusuf, who quit as chairman of Reform UK last week, came under fire on Question Time on BBC One on Thursday night when immigration and his party was discussed
Reform UK's Zia Yusuf faced a barrage of attack on Question Time last night - with one audience member comparing his party to "a comedy act in Blackpool".
Others chuckled when the man asked whether Reform UK will "be in Downing Street or a comedy act down the road in Blackpool" in four years' time. It led to a discussion about whether Reform UK will ever win a general election, during which Mr Yusuf scrambled to defend his party.
‌
He insisted Nigel Farage, Leader of Reform UK, has never said he would scrap the NHS, an argument to which presenter Fiona Bruce took exception. However, Mr Yusuf, who is now intending to stand as an MP, said the health system "isn't working" and suggested changes - without specifying which - need to be made.
‌
The initial audience member in Fleetwood, Lancashire, said: "Reform UK have got ten councils, including in Blackpool, but fast forward four years, are they going to be in Downing Street or are they going to be in a comedy act down the road in Blackpool?" Others were heard laughing at the question, which left Mr Yusuf somewhat unimpressed and muted for a moment.
Mr Yusuf, who is now the head of Reform UK Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), had a lot of criticism to tackle by this stage aleady, including the suggestion the party intends to axe the NHS.
Before he could address the man's comedy act jibe, Ms Bruce asked Mr Yusuf why he left Reform UK last week. The presenter said: "One of the things he (Mr Farage) mentioned that might be a reason and these are his words and not mine, is that interpersonal skills are not top of your list of personal attributes. What do you make of that?"
The audience again chuckled at this moment, which left Mr Yusuf squirming. He eventually answered to emphasise his passion for the Reform UK "mission," which he said is "very results oriented". He used this opportunity to hit back at the original audience member too, stressing Reform UK can be "very proud" of its achievements so far.
"I am a very results-oriented person. I care deeply about the mission. I worked as a volunteer, I sold my company in 2023 and I didn't come (to Reform UK) for money. I think the United Kingdom is one of the few countries in the world where my story is even possible. I am extremely passionate about this mission and I've dedicated pretty much my life to it," the politician said.
"I make no apologies we have been a very results-oriented organisation and, as a result of that, we have gone from 14% in the general election last summer to polling at north of 30%. We have opened 400 branches and, of course, we took control of 10 councils and I think May 1, Fiona, will go down as the most historic set of local election results in this country's history. So I'm very proud of what we have achieved."