High-profile Reform backer quits divided party warning Nigel Farage to get a grip and tackle 'would-be leader' Zia Yusuf

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 04:29 EDT, 9 September 2026 | Updated: 04:30 EDT, 9 September 2026 A high-profile Reform supporter has quit the increasingly divided party, telling Nigel Farage to 'get a grip' and stop pandering to the hard-Right.Commentator Tim Montgomerie, whose membership was suspended last month after he criticised Mr Farage, said he would not be seeking to overturn the ban and resigned instead.He said he still wanted to back Reform but warned Mr Farage had to 'sort it out' amid investigations into the source of foreign donations, dipping polls and talk of a power battle.Mr Montgomerie said that Mr Farage needed to take a stronger line with people like home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf, who has been accused of harbouring leadership ambitions.Mr Yusuf has been at the centre of several high-profile social media rows, and this week distanced himself from the party leadership over anti-migrant demos by masked gangs in Dover and Portsmouth.Mr Farage and deputy Richard Tice hit out at the Patriot Platform protests, with the latter saying they were 'thugs' engaged in 'militia style intimidation'.But Mr Yusuf, who went to Portsmouth to speak to protesters, criticised Tory leader Kemi Badenoch for using the same language, adding: 'The Tories sneer at voters from their ivory tower.' Tim Montgomerie (centre) said Mr Farage needed to take a stronger line with people like Zia Yusuf (right), who has been accused of harbouring leadership ambitions Mr Farage and deputy Richard Tice hit out at the Patriot Platform protests, with the latter saying they were 'thugs' engaged in 'militia style intimidation' But Mr Yusuf criticised Tory leader Kemi Badenoch for using the same language, adding: 'The Tories sneer at voters from their ivory tower'Speaking to the BBC, Mr Montgomerie, a former Tory member and editor of the Conservative Home website, said: 'I want to still be a supporter, but that requires them being more like Reform and less like the AfD [Germany's far-right Alternative for Deutschland].'He added: 'Nigel needs to get a grip, he needs to lead the party.'The one thing he's been brilliant at is policing the right and stopping Tommy Robinson joining.'But for the sake of his legacy and the sake of decency he needs to sort it out, and bring people like Zia under control.'Mr Farage called for full face coverings to be banned in public 'once and for all' after masked protesters gathered for anti-migrant demonstrations over the weekend.The Reform UK leader labelled face coverings a 'menace' and made clear he would ban any worn for religious reasons as well. Mr Yusuf went to Portsmouth to speak to protesters and said it was 'the latest ground zero for the invasion of Britain'Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Farage referenced the protesters in Dover and said: 'Now, I'm all for the protest. Plenty to protest about. But seriously, this is not the way to go about it.'Because let's be clear, face coverings are a menace. Whether it is a heavy-duty balaclava worn by a gang member or the dark mask of 'Antifa' extremists, their purpose is to bully and intimidate.'He said seeing masked people in the streets should not be accepted as 'part of modern Britain'.Mr Montgomerie was suspended from Reform following public criticism of senior party figures, including Mr Farage.In a post on X, he hit out at the party leader for his 'aggrieved tone' amid questions about his finances and suggested he needed a 'much better explanation' for why he skipped the count in the Clacton by-election, which he said followed 'security advice'.He has also repeatedly criticised Mr Yusuf, including telling a Spectator podcast he 'cannot behave like a child in politics'.Last week, ahead of his party conference speech, the home affairs spokesman posted online a video about 'his story' as the son of medical workers originally from Sri Lanka who came to Britain in the 1980s.Mr Montgomerie responded by saying: 'The sooner [Mr Farage] realises this man is running to replace him as leader, the better.'