The recent appointment of Muhammad Ziauddin Yusuf – more widely known as Zia Yusuf – as Chairman of
Reform UK has prompted considerable scrutiny. A British Muslim businessman with an elite financial
background, Yusuf’s presence at the helm of a party long associated with hardline anti-immigration rhetoric
has raised eyebrows. Is his involvement a sign of meaningful representation and reform – or a calculated
branding move?

Despite its rebranding in 2020, Reform UK continues to advocate for:

• Reduced immigration,
• “British cultural values,”
• Tighter border control,
• And a general disdain for what it labels “woke” politics.

The Farage Factor

Reform UK, initially launched as The Brexit Party, was led by Nigel Farage – a populist figure who built his
brand on nationalist, anti-immigration sentiment. Even after its rebranding, Reform UK has continued to
champion policies prioritising reduced immigration, cultural nationalism, and opposition to progressive values,
particularly those associated with multiculturalism.

The party’s corporate structure further complicates the picture. It operates as a limited company, not as a
traditional member-led political party. This gives Farage – and now Zia Yusuf, through REFORM 2025 LTD –
significant centralised control.

For many, this remains a party that others minorities, especially Muslim communities, even as it now promotes a Muslim chairman.

Who is Zia Yusuf?

Zia Yusuf was born in Bellshill, Scotland, to Sri Lankan immigrant parents. A graduate of the London School of Economics, Yusuf made his fortune co-founding Velocity Black, which sold for over £230 million in 2023.
He became a key financial backer of Reform UK and was appointed chairman in 2024.
By 2025, Yusuf also became co-director of REFORM 2025 LTD, the company now registered as the Person
with Significant Control over Reform UK Party Ltd. This legal structure gives him tangible authority over party
governance.

Why Would Yusuf Align with Reform UK?

1. 1. Strategic Influence:
2. Yusuf may see his leadership as a way to reshape the party’s image, modernise its tone, and make it electorally viable beyond its Brexit-era roots. His business background and media savviness suggest he could bring “boardroom discipline” to a movement often mired in controversy.
3. 2. Ideological Alignment:
4. Despite his background, Yusuf appears to share key tenets of the party’s platform: personal responsibility, low taxation, and streamlined governance. His self-identification as a “British Muslim patriot” implies that he sees no contradiction between his faith and Reform UK’s nationalist rhetoric.
5. 3. Political Optics:
6. There is also the question of optics. Having a Muslim chairman allows Reform UK to push back against accusations of racism and Islamophobia. It provides a powerful line of defence: “How can we be racist if our chairman is a Muslim?”
7. This tactic is not new—many political movements have historically recruited minority figureheads to legitimise controversial platforms without addressing the underlying structural issues.

The Problem of Control

Because Reform UK is structured as a private company, it allows the chairman and its directors to act without
democratic oversight. They can hire or remove directors, restructure finances, and guide strategic messaging with little to no input from ordinary members or supporters. Farage’s historic dominance in the party, even
when not formally leading it, further compounds this issue.

Reform UK’s status as a limited company, not a traditional member-led party, means Yusuf and Farage (via REFORM 2025 LTD) hold almost unchecked control. Unlike Labour or the Greens, there is no internal democracy, no elected national executive committee, and no binding policy resolutions from members.

In short: they can hire and fire as they see fit.

This raises a troubling question: can a political party so tightly controlled by two individuals genuinely claim to represent “the people”? And can Yusuf claim to defend British Muslims while chairing a party that has often painted immigration—and by extension, Islam—as a problem?

Yusuf’s role, while powerful, does not negate the party’s controversial legacy. In fact, he has already been
subjected to racist abuse from within the party’s supporter base – exposing the contradictions at the heart of
this political project.

A Tense Balancing Act

Yusuf’s leadership may well reflect genuine belief, ambition, or a desire to steer the party in a new direction. But it also risks becoming a fig-leaf for deeper problems. His presence will not erase the fact that many Muslims and immigrants have felt targeted by Reform UK’s messaging.

Indeed, Yusuf himself has faced racist and Islamophobic abuse from within the party’s own supporter base, highlighting the fragility of any claim to real inclusion.

Conclusion: Representation or Repackaging?

Zia Yusuf’s involvement may signal an effort to modernise Reform UK, or it may simply be a strategic move to
sanitise its image. His presence could represent a new era—one of ideological maturity and broader inclusion. Or, more cynically, it could be a PR move, designed to sanitise a party rooted in division.The question remains: is this genuine change, or is Yusuf being used as cover for a party still rooted in populist nationalism?

References:

• Companies House – REFORM UK PARTY LIMITED Filing History
• Companies House – REFORM 2025 LTD Filing History
• Companies House – Nigel Farage Appointments
• Electoral Commission (2024). Political Party Structures and Donations
• Middle East Eye – Yusuf Faces Abuse from Supporters
• Parliament.uk – Nigel Farage Register of Interests
• Reuters – Farage’s Restructuring of Reform UK
• The Guardian (2025). Zia Yusuf Appointed Chairman of Reform UK
• The Guardian – Reform UK and Farage’s Political Strategy

• Written by Curious Femme, © 2025