20/08/2026
There has been a lot of discussion recently surrounding Zia Yusuf and Reform UK.
This powerful statement from Matt Goodwin sets out why staying true to Reform’s anti-establishment principles, putting British people first and delivering the radical change voters are demanding is so important.
It’s well worth taking a few minutes to read the full statement below. 👇🇬🇧 🩵
🚨IMPORTANT STATEMENT…
I would like to say something about Zia Yusuf, Tim Montgomerie, and Reform.
I wouldn't normally say anything publicly but in case you haven't noticed there is clearly a coordinated campaign underway to discredit and demonise Zia Yusuf.
It is being pushed by ex-Tories like Tim Montgomerie, Fraser Nelson, and their allies in legacy media -- including The Times and The Spectator.
They are pushing a deeply misleading narrative that goes like this: Zia is a liability, divisive or "sulphurous", is too angry, and is limiting Reform's reach.
This is complete nonsense‼️
Zia Yusuf has done far more for Reform than the people who are briefing against him.
He set up countless branches, turned Reform into a serious party, and turned up at every single campaign.
When I asked Zia to help us with something during a by-election he just said: "whatever you need".
When I had to listen to an SW1-type podcast on the same campaign, which included "Reform supporter" Tim Montgomerie, I did not hear a single positive word said about us. It just seems some are more loyal to the media class than the party they claim to represent.
Zia is one of the most followed Reform politicians for a reason. Our activists and members love him. And the idea he is limiting Reform's reach is for the birds.
Here's what his critics won't tell you.
When did Reform peak? Last summer. On 35%.
When only a few of us were touring the country and Zia happened to be one of our main spokespersons.
And when did Reform actually start drifting in the polls? In January. And what happened then?
Reform started taking lots of ex-Tories.
The more we took on people who are associated in the minds of voters with the establishment, the more we diluted our anti-establishment zeal.
Which is why I have time for Zia and why he is central to the broad coalition that we need.
Neither of us are ex-Tories. Neither of us are Westminster types. Neither of us put loyalty to the media class ahead of our loyalty to the British people.
And both of us understand what this is really about -- the need for a radical, fundamental, and complete break from the failed politics of the last 30 years.
Many Tory voters want that.
Many blue Labour voters want that.
Many Lib Dem protestors want that.
Many Restore voters want that.
And many 'none-of-the-above' voters want that, too.
And if Reform doubled down on that we would start rising very quickly in the polls once more.
A complete departure from the failed model of politics that started with Tony Blair in 1997 and is still reflected on the front bench of today's Tory party.
A complete end to mass immigration, broken borders, ECHR membership, welfare for foreigners, two-tier justice, record taxes, surging energy bills, and more.
When Zia recently accused failed Tory Ministers (not Tory voters) of betrayal, I agreed strongly with him.
The political and media class said "tut tut" but there is a clear and direct line that runs from Tory Ministers importing tens of thousands of Afghans while gagging media and lying to voters to the current epidemic of sexual assaults on British women and girls.
Tory politicians willingly put our own people in danger. Much like they sold British workers down the river with the Boriswave. Much like they removed the requirement for British companies to advertise jobs in Britain first.
I don't care if it upsets them - they betrayed the British people. They should be called out on it.
When Tim Montgomerie first joined Reform, I text Nigel Farage to say it would end in tears.
It wasn't just because Tim had already called for myself to be "removed from public life" after I suggested the British people had every right to feel angry about how the son of Rwandan migrants had murdered children in Southport.
It was because Tim was clearly joining to try and "police" Reform's message, policy, and style.
To make sure we didn't venture "too far" beyond the boundaries of acceptable, polite, Westminster politics. To make sure we didn't upset people on BBC sofas.
And so all we've had for nearly two years is constant criticism. Criticising Nigel. Criticising Nigel's team. Criticising our refugee policy. Criticising our choice of candidates. Criticising our brilliant campaign in Gorton & Denton (despite never being seen on the ground).
And constantly, constantly criticising Zia.
All. Of. The. Time.
Critical friends are important for political parties but if your friend is only ever p*ssing inside the tent and never p*ssing outside the tent you get to a point where you have to ask: why am I hanging out with this friend?
I say all this because it speaks to an important point.
What Zia recognises, what I recognise, what the vast majority of Reform activists and voters recognise is that we do not want to be policed or controlled by the failed politics that has very nearly destroyed Britain.
We reject that politics completely.
We do not want to operate within the parameters of the failed Tory-Labour consensus in Westminster.
We do not want to be kept within the boundaries of a political project that inflicted all the chaos and carnage you see around you today.
We do not want to have to work alongside people who literally said they called Tony Blair and Boris Johnson to check if it's ok they defect to Reform.
And yes, we are angry. Rightly so.
Who isn't angry when they look at the state of Britain? Who isn't angry when they look at how politicians are treating our people like second-class citizens in our own country? Who isn't angry when they see British workers and British kids being sold out at every turn?
Those people, the silent majority, deserve a new politics that unashamedly and unequivocally puts them first.
Zia gets that. So do I. And so do countless others in Reform. So what we should be doing is leaning into all those people and reasserting our anti-establishment zeal. If we do that then those voters will not only return Reform to 35% in the polls, which is where we were last summer, but will also hand us the only thing that will actually save Britain: a Reform majority.
That's all I want to say on the matter.
