‘There are no disasters, only opportunities.’ Boris Johnson’s famous mantra is being embraced by Nigel Farage as he tries to turn Reform into a vehicle for government. Zia Yusuf’s un-resignation as party chairman last week offered Farage the chance to restructure his top team. At a press conference this morning, a chastened Yusuf handed over the baton to his successor, shaking hands under Farage’s watchful eye.
Reform’s new chairman is Dr David Bull, a former GP, TalkTV personality and onetime MEP for the Brexit party. Yusuf lavished praise on Bull, declaring him a ‘more affable and charming man than I am’ and ‘universally loved across the party’. That is a tacit acknowledgement of some of the tensions caused by Yusuf’s professionalisation drive since his appointment last summer.
Bull’s duties will be focused on rallying the Reform UK’s grassroots and sharing the burden of media duties, with back-office functions handled by a deputy.
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