Zia Yusuf: Chairman of Reform UK resigns
The chairman of Reform UK, Zia Yusuf, has resigned.
In a statement, Mr Yusuf said in a post on X that working to get the party elected is no longer "a good use of my time".
He said: "11 months ago I became chairman of Reform. I've worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30%, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results.
"I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office."
It comes after a row in which he described a question to Sir Keir Starmer about a ban on burkas from his party's newest MP Sarah Pochin as "dumb".
Rupert Lowe, a former Reform MP, was strongly critical of Mr Yusuf in the wake of the politician's suspension following allegations that he had threatened violence towards the party chair.
Many credited businessman Mr Yusuf with professionalising the party's operations as they secured millions of votes at last year's general election.
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