Zia Yusuf received 'tonnes of online abuse' ahead of dramatic resignation: 'Vile and horrible!'

In a dramatic reversal just 48 hours after his resignation, Yusuf returned to Reform UK on Saturday. He admitted that his departure had been a "mistake" resulting from "exhaustion".

Speaking to GB News, Tice: "What's going on is that Zia is back.

"He's going to be running the Doge unit and by his own admission, see, he's been working 24/7 for 11 months, and it's a very high pressure job.

"He was doing the job of about five people brilliantly, but he was just exhausted. And so we are delighted that he's going to crack on.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Pension system overhaul to boost economy by 'fraction' of Labour forecast in blow to Rachel Reeves
• US warns Britain not to allow Chinese 'super-embassy' near London's financial centres
• Reform UK vows to end 'taxpayer rip off' with plan to overhaul public sector pensions

"He's going to say helping with the Doge unit as we lift the lid on the bonnet of council spending and the ten councils that we control.

"We're already seeing huge areas of waste, incompetence and sometimes, I regret to say, a bit of fraud here and there. And we're going to stop that."

He added: "Well, he's had a two day holiday, and he's back raring to go. It's very often that sort of not surprising that you're just pushing on at pace and in a sense don't realize just how demanding it is and the pressure and the politics and Zia had received horrendous online abuse, which was just appalling."

"It's horrid. It's vile."

Farage described Yusuf as "frankly, a bit burnt out" after being "pretty much inseparable" with him over the past 11 months.

The controversy began when Reform's newest MP, Sarah Pochin, challenged Keir Starmer about the legality of women wearing the burka during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. Pochin had won the Runcorn seat in a recent by-election.

Yusuf responded by describing Pochin's question as "dumb", triggering immediate backlash on social media.

A Reform spokesperson subsequently clarified that banning burkas was not party policy.

WATCH: Christopher Hope's reaction to Zia Yusuf announcing he will return to Reform UK

Yusuf will not return as chairman but will instead lead Reform's new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) initiative.

The role involves examining council spending across the ten councils Reform controls.

Despite the burka controversy, Yusuf told GB News he would vote to ban the burka if he were an MP.

He also expressed full faith in Sarah Pochin, calling her "an incredible MP and a good candidate".