Reform’s Zia Yusuf speaks during a press conference on prison capacityZia Yusuf has taken another thinly-veiled swipe at Robert Jenrick as he hit out at “quisling Tory ministers who betrayed our country”.
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman took aim at those who “smuggled in countless Afghans then boasted about it”.
“They must be held accountable for what they did,” Yusuf said in a post on X. “Soon enough, they will.”
The quisling Tory Ministers who betrayed our country must never be allowed to seize control again.
They will say and do anything to do so.
Smuggled in countless Afghans then boasted about it.
They must be held accountable for what they did.
Soon enough, they will.
His comments appeared to be a less-than-subtle reference to Jenrick, who was a cabinet minister in the last Tory government.
Writing in the Telegraph in 2021, the then housing secretary praised the Afghan Resettlement and Assistance Programme, which was set up to allow those who had helped the UK during the war in their country to move to Britain.
Jenrick, who defected to Reform earlier this year and is now the party’s Treasury spokesman, said: “They have come out of a tragic and at times terrifying situation, but are now in a place of safety, freedom and opportunity.
“We will do everything we can to ensure their new lives in the UK are happy and successful.”
It is not the first time that Yusuf has criticised former Tory ministers, many of whom are now his Reform colleagues.
In a post on X last month, he said they were “the most nefarious people outside of those in prison”.
His attack came just a day after he hit out at “deadbeat Tory ministers” in another social media post.
And in August, he said: “Have you noticed the people with ‘Right Honourable’ in their titles are among the most dishonourable people in the country?”
The Conservative Party’s official X account tagged Jenrick in a reply on social media, adding: “He means you mate.”
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