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Zia Yusuf

Credentials

  • Bachelor of Science (BSc), International Relations, London School of Economics, 2009.1LSE Alumni,” London School of Economics, Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Background

Muhammad Ziauddin (Zia) Yusuf is a Scottish multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur and chairman of the right-wing populist Reform UK party.2Eleni Courea. “Reform’s new chair Zia Yusuf: a man intent on making Nigel Farage PM,” The Guardian, August 5, 2024. Archived September 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/jjvDX He was appointed chairman on July 11, 2024, shortly after the UK general election, when he replaced Richard Tice.3Kate Whannel. “Entrepreneur Yusuf replaces Tice as Reform Chairman,” BBC News, July 11, 2024. Archived July 11, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/25t7p
 
As Reform UK chairman, Yusuf has largely taken control of the operations of the party, and has been credited with “professionalising” Reform UK, which he calls a “start-up”.4Political Thinking with Nick Robinson: The Zia Yusuf One”, BBC Radio 4, February 8, 2025. Archived April 23, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. He has helped expand the party rapidly from zero to over 400 regional offices between July 2024 and February 2025.5Ben Quinn and Rowena Mason. “’Guess who’s back?’: The inside story of Nigel Farage’s quest for power,” The Guardian, February 15, 2025. Archived February 15, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/6pABm

Since becoming chairman, Yusuf has made a variety of anti- net zero and pro-fossil fuel statements, including that North Sea oil reserves are a “gift from God” and that efforts to achieve net zero would be a “catastrophic act of self-harm” to the UK economy.6GBNews. “‘Socialist DOUBLE AGENTS’ Zia Yusuf OBLITERATES Tories For Throwing British ‘Culture to the WOLVES!,’” YouTube video uploaded by user GBNews on February 19, 2024. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
 
In February 2025, in his role as chairman, Yusuf spoke at the annual conference of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC),7Reform Party UK. “Britain has the most expensive electricity prices in the developed world. Net zero is holding back our economy,” Post by @reformparty_uk on February 20, 2025 on TikTok. Retrieved on Tiktok.com. a radical-right wing network fronted by prominent climate science denier Jordan Peterson and attended by leading climate deniers from across the U.S. and Europe.8Sam Bright. “Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage to Speak at ‘Glastonbury for Climate Deniers’,” DeSmog, February 4, 2025. He spoke on a panel in which he called net zero “madness” and claimed “we need to start drilling in the North Sea immediately”.9Zia Yusuf. Speech given at Alliance For Responsible Citizenship conference, February 19, 2025. Transcript on file at DeSmog.

Yusuf met party leader Nigel Farage at a cocktail party held by Stuart Wheeler, who formerly served as UKIP treasurer, in the mid 2010s.10Eleni Courea. “Reform’s new chair Zia Yusuf: a man intent on making Nigel Farage PM,” The Guardian, August 5, 2024. Archived September 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/jjvDX On the July 2024 general election campaign trail, Farage said that Yusuf could one day lead Reform UK,11Whannel, Kate. “Entrepreneur Yusuf replaces Tice as Reform Chairman,” BBC News, July 11, 2024. Archived July 11, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/25t7p commenting that “aside from his generosity, [Yusuf] will be a great asset and media performer during this campaign and beyond”.12Gordon Rayner. “Muslim entrepreneur gives Reform biggest donation of campaign,” The Telegraph, June 19, 2024. Archived December 29, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uNfcU

In March 2025, a “senior member” of Reform UK told The Independent that Yusuf was “plotting a leadership coup ‘in plain sight’”.13Gordon Rayner. “Muslim entrepreneur gives Reform biggest donation of campaign,” The Telegraph, June 19, 2024. Archived December 29, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uNfcU

Before joining Reform UK, Yusuf was a long-time member of the Conservative Party, and was still a paying Tory member as of August 2024 despite his appointment as Reform UK chairman.14Eleni Courea. “Reform UK chair was member of Conservatives until last week,” The Guardian, August 8, 2024. Archived March 23, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uiYly The Conservative Party revoked Yusuf’s membership when this was discovered.15Eleni Courea. “Reform UK chair was member of Conservatives until last week,” The Guardian, August 8, 2024. Archived March 23, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uiYly

Born in Bellshill in North Lanarkshire in Scotland to Sri Lankan parents, Yusuf is a practising Muslim who identifies as a “British Muslim patriot”.16Mulla, Imran. “UK: Muslim millionaire becomes largest donor to Nigel Farage’s party,” Middle East Eye, July 11, 2024. Archived March 10, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/eWNTc His father was a paediatrician working for the NHS and his mother is an intensive care nurse.17Eleni Courea. “Reform’s new chair Zia Yusuf: a man intent on making Nigel Farage PM,” The Guardian, August 5, 2024. Archived September 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/jjvDX His family eventually moved to Surrey.18Eleni Courea. “Reform’s new chair Zia Yusuf: a man intent on making Nigel Farage PM,” The Guardian, August 5, 2024. Archived September 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/jjvDX

He attended the independent Hampton school in west London after earning a 50 percent scholarship, where he met his future business partner Alex Macdonald.19Eleni Courea. “Reform’s new chair Zia Yusuf: a man intent on making Nigel Farage PM,” The Guardian, August 5, 2024. Archived September 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/jjvDX After graduating from the London School of Economics, Yusuf worked for five years in finance at Merrill Lynch and as an executive for Goldman Sachs, where he was as a specialist on European automotive and defense companies.20Michael Bow. “The former investment banker plotting to put Nigel Farage in No 10,” The Telegraph, January 4, 2025. Archived January 16, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/oWwUi

Yusuf went on to co-found the luxury concierge company Velocity Black, which they sold in 2024 for £233 million.

As a younger man, Yusuf attended protests against the Iraq war with his father,21“Political Thinking with Nick Robinson: The Zia Yusuf One,” BBC Radio 4, February 8, 2025. Archived April 23, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. and supported the presidency of Barack Obama.22Eleni Courea. “Reform’s new chair Zia Yusuf: a man intent on making Nigel Farage PM,” The Guardian, August 5, 2024. Archived September 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/jjvDX

Funding

Yusuf made millions after co-founding and becoming the CEO of Velocity Black,23Andy Martin. A View from the Top with Zia Yusuf, Chief Executive of concierge service Velocity Black,” The Independent, December 30, 2018. Archived December 31, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XdN9p a high-end “digital concierge” mobile phone app that allows clients to book exclusive restaurant reservations, concert tickets, and bespoke travel experiences at the touch of a button. The company website has advertised adventures “from microchipping blue whales in Sri Lanka with a renowned conservationist, to dinner within an Egyptian pyramid”.24Velocity Black. Archived March 21, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/NHgn0
 
Yusuf and his business partner, former classmate Alex Macdonald, sold the company in 2023 to the U.S. bank Capital One for £233 million,25Gordon Rayner. “Muslim entrepreneur gives Reform biggest donation of campaign,” The Telegraph, June 19, 2024. Archived December 29, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uNfcU with Yusuf reportedly making £32 million from the sale.26Ben Quinn and Rowena Mason. “’Guess who’s back?’: The inside story of Nigel Farage’s quest for power,” The Guardian, February 15, 2025. Archived February 15, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/6pABm

After selling the company, Yusuf turned to politics. Shortly before his appointment as Reform UK chairman, in the lead-up to the UK general election in July 2024, Yusuf was the second-biggest donor to Reform UK,27Daniel Wainwright. “Labour got more donations than other parties combined,” BBC News, July 15, 2024. Archived July 15, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/beUQe giving £200,000 to the party in the last week of June.28“Reform UK received £600,000 in one week’s donations, as Labour outstrips Tories,” Shropshire Star, July 8, 2024. Archived July 9, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/AiAcc His contribution constituted close to a third of Reform UK’s total donations in the last week before the election.29Ben Quinn. “Nigel Farage stirs tensions in Reform UK as he ousts deputies,” The Guardian, July 11 2024. Archived February 28, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/igZDs

When he was appointed as chairman, he announced: “This is just the beginning. The important work of professionalising the party, building national infrastructure and continuing to grow membership has already begun”.30Genivieve Holl-Allen. “Reform announces donor Zia Yusuf as new party chairman,” The Telegraph, July 11, 2024. Archived January 16, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/f0gJz

When asked by The Guardian whether he might run for a seat in Parliament in 2029, Yusuf responded, “I’m absolutely open to it. This is a sincere comment. I will serve in whatever capacity Nigel asks of me”.31Eleni Courea. “Reform’s new chair Zia Yusuf: a man intent on making Nigel Farage PM,” The Guardian, August 5, 2024. Archived September 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/jjvDX

Party chairman powers

The Reform UK Constitution, approved by an in-person vote by members during the Reform UK annual conference in September 2024,32Joshua Nevett. “Reform UK votes to give members more control,” BBC News, September 21, 2025. Archived September 21, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/Ym5Rr grants Yusuf as party chairman the power to refuse or decline to renew any party membership “without reservation or qualification”, and to revoke memberships at his “discretion”.33Reform UK Party Constitution, Reform UK, December 2024. Archived March 19, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/hP24W These decisions can be appealed, but would be reviewed by theparty secretary and two others, either members of the party’s board or “two persons independent of the party”, who could theoretically be anybody.
 
As of April 2025, there is no publicly listed party secretary for Reform UK.
 
As chairman, Yusuf can suspend any candidate he deems “may damage the reputation or interests of the party” and set the agenda of topics for party conferences. If Yusuf suspends a candidate, the board must “proceed to determine” the final outcome, but the nature of that review is unclear from the constitution. 

If he declares “emergency powers” to discipline a member, it requires confirmation by the party secretary, or an “independent chairman” selected by the board, and “not more than two voting members of the board”.

Any Reform UK candidate is contractually bound to provide “full disclosure of any material fact, political or personal” in writing that may affect their candidacy to the party chairman. 

There is no term limit to the position, and the constitution contains nothing about a procedure to remove the chairman once one has been appointed by the party leader.

The role also grants the chairman “responsibility” over all party databases related to membership. The Reform UK privacy policy states that the party plans to “create and maintain a profile for each registered voter in the UK”.34Reform UK. “Privacy policy”. Archived April 5, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/VHBpZ
 
Alongside Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage, as of February 2025 Yusuf is listed as one of two directors of Reform 2025 Ltd., the non-profit company that represents Reform UK’s political activities.35Reform 2025 LTD. Companies House. Archived March 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Sfg17

Attitudes to Trump’s team

Yusuf has praised U.S. President Donald Trump and his second administration, including the President’s dismantling of net zero policies in the United States. After the election of Trump in November 2024, Yusuf took to X to celebrate,36Zia Yusuf. “President Trump’s victory represents the rejection of open borders, socialist economics, woke ideology, net zero fanaticism and DEI by right thinking people in America,” Post by @ZiaYusufUK, November 6, 2024. Retrieved from X.com. Archived .png on file at DeSmog. posting an image of Trumpwriting, “President Trump’s victory represents the rejection of open borders, socialist economics, woke ideology, net zero fanaticism and DEI by right thinking people in America. The UK is next”.

Yusuf was in Washington DC for Trump’s second presidential inauguration in January 2025. There, he met U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, whom he called “fascinating” and “quite inspiring”.37Political Thinking with Nick Robinson: The Zia Yusuf One”, BBC Radio 4, February 8, 2025. Archived April 23, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

When asked on the BBC’s ‘Political Thinking with Nick Robinson’about his support for Trump and his November 2024 X post, he said:

“You will have seen [Trump] at signing ceremonies, throwing his pen into the crowd. Now look we don’t have executive orders, but […] we are working really hard behind the scenes to ensure that when Nigel is the prime minister […] we can get done in the first 30 days a large part of what the country will need, and it will be absolutely those things [quoted above from the X post]”.38Political Thinking with Nick Robinson: The Zia Yusuf One”, BBC Radio 4, February 8, 2025. Archived April 23, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Praise for Elon Musk
 
Yusuf highly regards Tesla founder and major Trump donor Elon Musk, and has said that “no one has done more to get us to ‘net zero’ than Elon Musk”.39Rob Moore. “Reform Chairman Zia Yusuf Outlines How to Fix Broken Britain From The Corrupt System.” YouTube video uploaded by user Rob Moore on March 17, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.He has called Musk “by some distance, the greatest entrepreneur of all time”, and has expressed that he “will be forever grateful for all he has done and will do for humanity”.40Zia Yusuf. “As a tech entrepreneur, I consider @elonmusk to be, by some distance, the greatest entrepreneur of all time,” Post by @ZiaYusufUK, January 5, 2025. Retrieved from X.com. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.

After co-founding Velocity Black, Yusuf cited Musk as inspiration, telling The Independent in 2018 that “we (Yusuf and co-founder Alex Macdonald) agreed with Elon Musk – it [Velocity Black] can’t be slightly better, it’s got to be amazing”.41Andy Martin. A View from the Top with Zia Yusuf, Chief Executive of concierge service Velocity Black,” The Independent, December 30, 2018. Archived December 31, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XdN9p
 
He has praised Musk as the “ideal person” to lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which plans to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government, including climate agencies.42Political Thinking with Nick Robinson: The Zia Yusuf One,” BBC Radio 4, February 8, 2025. Archived April 23, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
 
He has argued that a Reform UK government should replicate the efforts of DOGE in the UK,43TalkTV. “’Nobody Has Had A Real Job!’ | Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf SLAMS Keir Starmer’s Cabinet,“ YouTube video uploaded by user TalkTV on January 29, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. saying that “we [the UK] do need to massively cut the size of the bureaucratic state and probably cut the civil service by more than half by the time we get into office given how fast it’s going”.

Stance on Climate Change

March 27, 2025

Speaking on TalkTV, Yusuf criticised the Conservative Party for its past and current net zero stances, arguing that “the net zero catastrophe, the foolhardy unilateral economic disarmament of this country, was absolutely the handiwork of the Conservative Party”, and that “it was Theresa May who enshrined all of this [net zero] stuff into law”.44TalkTV. “’Net Zero Catastrophe’ | Reform UK Rinses Labour And Conservatives,”YouTube video uploaded by user TalkTV on March 27, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Responding to Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s announcement in March 2025 that her government would scrap the UK’s 2050 net zero target, which she claimed are “impossible”,45Sam Bright. “Kemi Badenoch Made Anti-Net Zero Speech at Shell Ad Agency,” DeSmog, March 18, 2025. Yusuf dismissed this promise, arguing that “all of the things that you hear from these senior Tories now, essentially they are railing against their own record in government”.

February 19, 2024

In an interview with GB News immediately following his speech at the annual conference for the  Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, Yusuf called oil and gas reserves in the North Sea a “gift from god”, and argued that not drilling those reserves is a “catastrophic act of self-harm”.46GB News. “‘Socialist DOUBLE AGENTS’ Zia Yusuf OBLITERATES Tories For Throwing British ‘Culture to the WOLVES!,’” YouTube video uploaded by user GBNews on February 19, 2024. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

In the same interview, he called net zero efforts “religious madness”, and called for “stopping the subsidies” for renewable energy companies.

He also supported the introduction of small nuclear reactors “built by the likes of Rolls Royce” to make way for what he claims would be “cheap abundant energy” that would “halve peoples’ energy bills in five years”.

In contradiction to his previous statements about net zero in the same interview, he added “by the way, [small nuclear reactors are] zero emissions, that’s important”.

December 13, 2024 

In an interview with GB News, Yusuf attacked net zero, describing it as “one of the greatest acts of self-immolation in British history”.47Georgia Pearce. “Labour’s ‘obsession with net zero blasted by Reform Chairman: ‘ Greatest act of self-immolation in British history!’,” GB News, December 13, 2024. Archived January 13, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PaEMs He suggested that the Labour Party had an “obsession” with net zero, and blamed the Conservative Party for the policies, claiming it “legislated and enshrined” net zero.

Yusuf argued that the UK’s drive for net zero would not be worthwhile because “the United Kingdom is less than one per cent of global emissions,” instead shifting blame onto “China, the United States and India [which] combined are 48 per cent of global emissions”. Research has identified the narrative of shifting blame to China as a common ‘discourse of delay’ tactic used to slow down action on climate change.48William Lamb, Giulio Mattioli, Sebastian Levi, et al. “Discourses of climate delay,” Cambridge University Press, July 1, 2020. Archived July 3, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/eJAMM

He also said: “The United Kingdom has the most expensive electricity in the world. It is absolutely catastrophic”.

Key Quotes

March 17, 2025

Speaking on the Disruptors podcast, Yusuf commented that “No one has done more to get us to ‘net zero’ than Elon Musk”.49Rob Moore. “Reform Chairman Zia Yusuf Outlines How to Fix Broken Britain From The Corrupt System.” YouTube video uploaded by user Rob Moore on March 17, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

February 25, 2025

Yusuf called the UK’s Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband “Comical Ali” in a post on X.50Zia Yusuf. “This man has become Britain’s Comical Ali,” Post by @ZiaYusufUK, February 25, 2024. Retrieved from X.com. Archived .png on file at DeSmog. The name is a reference to Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf,51“’Comical Ali’ Resurfaces,” BBC, June 26, 2003. Archived August 21, 2024. Archive URL:  https://archive.ph/kXp3 known for insisting that the Iraqi military was beating American forces during the Iraq War.

This follows Miliband’s announcement that the Labour government would be “taking action” to address rising energy prices, in which Miliband said that “as long as we remain exposed to fossil fuel markets, we’ll be stuck on the rollercoaster of prices”.52Ed Miliband. “1/ The rise in energy bills, as a result of the global spike in gas prices, will be worrying news for families,” Post by @Ed_Miliband, February 25, 2025. Retrieved from X.com. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.

January 29, 2025

Yusuf attacked the Labour government and previous Conservative governments for their net zero policies in an interview on TalkTV, claiming the UK has “the most expensive energy costs in the world” because the “religious cult of climate alarmism” has “insane obsessions with net zero”.53TalkTV. “’Nobody Has Had A Real Job!’ | Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf SLAMS Keir Starmer’s Cabinet,“ YouTube video uploaded by user TalkTV on January 29, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. He argued that net zero efforts in the UK are “unilaterally disarming” the country “on a global scale”.

He praised President Donald Trump’s rollback of climate policies, adding that that “he’s withdrawn from the Paris Climate Accord; he’s scrapping all of the net zero madness”.

January 14, 2025

In the wake of YouGov voting intention polling data showing that Reform UK had overtaken the Labour and Conservative parties in popularity for the first time,54YouGov. “Voting intention: Lab 24%, Ref 25%, Con 21% (2-3 Feb 2025),” February 3, 2025. Archived March 31, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Pulrp Yusuf appeared on TalkTV promising to “end this ridiculous religious cult of net zero which one should not forget was instituted and legislated and enshrined by the Conservative Party”.55TalkTV. “Reform UK POLLING SURGE ‘Delights’ Party Chairman Zia Yusuf Who Pledges To End Net Zero Cult,” YouTube video uploaded by user TalkTV on January 14, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

He also criticised Keir Starmer’s announcement of his intention for the UK to become an “AI superpower”,56Anna Gross, Tim Bradshaw and Rachel Millard. “What is Starmer’s plan to turn Britain into an AI superpower?,” The Financial Times, January 13, 2025. Archived January 13, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wVZyd claiming that “when the UK has the most expensive electricity in the world”, which Yusuf argued had been caused by Labour net zero policies, “anyone who knows anything about AI would have been laughing incredibly hard at that assessment”.

December 8, 2024

In response to news of the UK military’s plans to test electric vehicle battlefield vehicle technology,57Ethan Croft. “Net Zero plans for Armed Forces could ‘put soldiers at risk,” The Telegraph, December 7, 2024. Archived March 3, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/oQeAk Yusuf commented on X that “Now the Net Zero zealots have come for our military” and promised that “Reform will stop this madness”.58Zia Yusuf. “The religious obsession with Net Zero from the Tories and now Labour is suffocating the British people and enriching our adversaries like China.“ Post by @ZiaYusufUK, Retrieved from X.com, December 9, 2024. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.

November 6, 2024

After the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, Yusuf took to X to celebrate,59Zia Yusuf. “President Trump’s victory represents the rejection of open borders, socialist economics, woke ideology, net zero fanaticism and DEI by right thinking people in America,” Post by @ZiaYusufUK, November 6, 2024. Retrieved from X.com. Archived .png on file at DeSmog. posting an image of Trump and writing, “President Trump’s victory represents the rejection of open borders, socialist economics, woke ideology, net zero fanaticism and DEI by right thinking people in America. The UK is next”.

October 10, 2024

In a post on X, Yusuf argued that people who believe “we are on the brink of ‘climate catastrophe’” are demanding the “unilateral impoverishment of the British citizenry”. He added that climate protestors should be “in China” instead of the UK.60Zia Yusuf. “Anyone who truly believes that we are on the brink of “climate catastrophe” would be in China protesting government policy,” Post by @ZiaYusufUK, October 10, 2024. Retrieved from X.com. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.

Key Actions

February 19, 2025

In his role as Reform UK chairman, Yusuf spoke at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference, where radical right-wing thought leaders, including prominent climate science deniers, met in London.61Sam Bright. “Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage to Speak at ‘Glastonbury for Climate Deniers’,” DeSmog, February 4, 2025. At the conference, he spoke on a panel in which he made various anti-net zero claims about the UK’s energy policy.62GB News. “‘Socialist DOUBLE AGENTS’ Zia Yusuf OBLITERATES Tories For Throwing British ‘Culture to the WOLVES!,’” YouTube video uploaded by user GBNews on February 19, 2024. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

February 2025

Alongside Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Yusuf is listed as one of two directors of Reform 2025 Ltd., the non-profit company that represents Reform UK’s political activities.63“Reform 2025 LTD,” Companies House. Archived March 25, 2025. Archive URL:  https://archive.ph/Sfg17

December 2024

The establishment of a new Reform UK constitution granted Yusuf, as party chairman, the power to rescind, refuse, or decline to renew any party membership, to suspend any candidacy he deems “may damage the reputation or interests of the party”, to declare emergency powers to discipline any party member, and to oversee all party data collection related to membership.64Reform UK Party Constitution, Reform UK, December 2024. Archived March 19, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/hP24W

August 2024

After it was discovered that Yusuf was still a paying member of the Conservative Party despite serving as Reform UK chairman, the Conservative Party revoked his membership.65Eleni Courea. “Reform UK chair was member of Conservatives until last week,” The Guardian, August 8, 2024. Archived March 23, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uiYly

July 11, 2024

Reform UK appointed Yusuf chairman of the party, replacing Richard Tice.66Kate Whannel. “Entrepreneur Yusuf replaces Tice as Reform Chairman,” BBC News, July 11, 2024. Archived July 11, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/25t7p Commenting after the announcement, he said:

“This is just the beginning. The important work of professionalising the party, building national infrastructure and continuing to grow membership has already begun”.67Genivieve Holl-Allen. “Reform announces donor Zia Yusuf as new party chairman,” The Telegraph, July 11, 2024. Archived January 16, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/f0gJz

June 30, 2024

Yusuf gave a major political speech at a campaign rally, in which he claimed that the UK had “lost control of [its] borders” and that “it’s time to put British people first”.68Reform UK. “Zia Yusuf Full Speech – Rally for Reform UK 30th June 2024,” YouTube video uploaded by user TalkTV on June 30, 2024. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

June 20, 2024

Before the 2024 UK general election, Yusuf donated £200,00069“Reform UK received £600,000 in one week’s donations, as Labour outstrips Tories,” Shropshire Star, July 8, 2024. Archived July 9, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/AiAcc to Reform UK, close to a third of the total donated to the party between June 10 and June 26.70Ben Quinn. “Nigel Farage stirs tensions in Reform UK as he ousts deputies,” The Guardian, July 11 2024. Archived February 28, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/igZDs
 
 June 1, 2023

Capital One, a U.S. bank, bought Velocity Black,71Gordon Rayner. “Muslim entrepreneur gives Reform biggest donation of campaign,” The Telegraph, June 19, 2024. Archived December 29, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uNfcU earning Yusuf an estimated £32 million.72Ben Quinn and Rowena Mason. “’Guess who’s back?’: The inside story of Nigel Farage’s quest for power,” The Guardian, February 15, 2025. Archived February 15, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/6pABm

2014

Yusuf founded luxury concierge app company Velocity Black with his former schoolmate Alex MacDonald.73Andy Martin. A View from the Top with Zia Yusuf, Chief Executive of concierge service Velocity Black,” The Independent, December 30, 2018. Archived December 31, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XdN9p

Affiliations

Social Media

Publications

Britain is fast becoming an Orwellian surveillance state, The Telegraph, February 22, 2025.77Zia Yusuf. “Britain is fast becoming an Orwellian surveillance state,” The Telegraph, February 22, 2025. Archived March 12, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/LNhiS
 
 Britain is on the brink. Only Reform can save it, The Telegraph, September 4, 2024.78Zia Yusuf. “Britain is on the brink. Only Reform can save it,” The Telegraph, September 4, 2024. Archived September 4, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZznOU
 
 Nigel Farage is no Islamophobe. He loves Britons of all races and religions, The Telegraph, June 27, 2024.79Zia Yusuf. “Nigel Farage is no Islamophobe. He loves Britons of all races and religions,” The Telegraph, June 27, 2024. Archived June 27, 2024 . Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZznOU

Other Resources

Zia Yusuf, Wikipedia entry.80“Zia Yusuf.” Wikipedia. Accessed April 14, 2025. Archived April 10, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/262xo

“The Zia Yusuf One”, interview on the BBC for Political Thinking with Nick Robinson.81“Political Thinking with Nick Robinson: The Zia Yusuf One”, BBC Radio 4, February 8, 2025. Archived April 23, 2025. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Image credit: Screengrab from Sky News’ YouTube

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