Former Farage ally suspended from Reform after hitting out at Zia Yusuf

Reform UK has suspended a high-profile supporter and one-time Farage ally after he criticised the party’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf for not being a “team player”.

Tim Montgomerie, a commentator and party board member, has been openly critical of Mr Yusuf in recent weeks and suggested in a podcast that "Nigel has fallen out of love with Zia.”

It comes days after he hit out at Mr Yusuf for calling a former Tory defence secretary a “traitor” and suggested that he Wallace should be prosecuted for his role in Afghans coming to Britain after the UK’s withdrawal.

Reform UK has now confirmed Mr Montgomerie has been suspended from the party.

Speaking on the Spectator's Coffee House Shots podcast, Mr Montgomerie said: “It was unprecedented for Farage to criticise him last week, but did he take down the tweet that Nigel criticised? No. He wouldn't. He's loyal to Nigel as he has to be if he wants to succeed him, but in terms of being able to really play as a team player...

“He has consistently freelanced on Twitter, on for example, accepting Conservative candidates, Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, even though he knew they were being wooed. But it was his way of trying to undermine that policy.”

It is understood he was notified of his suspension before the podcast was broadcast, after having been a public critic of the party on many occasions.

He also revealed that Mr Yusuf “did not talk to me” for three months after the home affairs spokesperson found out he had helped Robert Jenrick defect to Reform, and accused him of behaving “like a child”.

“A lot of people are on not-speaking terms with Zia and it’s nearly always Zia who initiates it,” he said.

“It needs to end. You cannot behave like a child in politics.”