Reform UK suspends board member Tim Montgomerie after public criticism of senior leaders

Reform UK has suspended prominent party board member Tim Montgomerie following a series of public criticisms directed at senior figures, including party leader Nigel Farage and home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf. The suspension, confirmed by the party on August 18, 2026, comes after Montgomerie made disparaging remarks about Yusuf's conduct and questioned Farage's handling of personal financial questions in recent media interviews.

Montgomerie, a former Conservative adviser who founded the ConservativeHome website and defected to Reform in December 2024, stated he plans to appeal the decision. He said in a video statement that he was only trying to make the party "better and stronger" with his criticisms and that he had warned Farage upon joining that he would be critical at times.

The immediate catalyst for the suspension was an interview on The Spectator's Coffee House Shots podcast, where Montgomerie accused Yusuf of not being a "team player" and behaving "like a child." He revealed that Yusuf had not spoken to him for three months after discovering Montgomerie had helped facilitate the defection of former Conservative MP Robert Jenrick to Reform. Montgomerie also suggested...