Reform UK’s Chairman for South Derbyshire, Job West, sent in his resignation letter on 10 February 2025. He stresses that he does not have confidence in Nigel Farage as the leader of Reform UK or in the management of Party Chairman Zia Yusuf, to whom his letter is addressed.
Job states that he had joined Reform with “the intention of destroying the uniparty [system] and that he considered the devastating defeat of the Conservatives [in the 2024 general election] to be the first step in achieving a truly representative government for the British people”. He adds that he “had hoped that Reform UK would be a truly democratic and grassroots-led movement”.
Sadly and significantly, Job was not to witness democracy at work within Reform, and his resignation letter describes a top-down-led party, arrogance towards local branches, and a drive for what he describes as “Toryisation” of Reform.
In a fascinating conversation with Brian Gerrish, Job discusses his concerns about Reform UK and the leadership of both Nigel Farage and chairman Zia Yusuf. The dialogue quickly lifts the lid on the similarity of Farage’s approach and leadership within UKIP during the party’s formative years, and his 2025 approach in Reform UK. The similarities are stark: rousing speeches, authoritarian control protected by a circle of appointees, and suppression of successful initiatives by party activists. The end result is a party led into a cul-de-sac and failure to achieve the political success its members are desperate to achieve.