Zia Yusuf’s social media post has prompted sharp criticism inside Reform UK and a public rebuke from the business secretary, who called the message "straightforward racism".
Yusuf, the party’s home affairs spokesperson, posted on X that Sagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden council, had been born in Somalia and added the question, "Do you understand what’s happening?" The message has been viewed 8m times.
The post drew censure from senior figures while Reform UK held its conference in Birmingham. Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, told Sky News the comment was "pretty straightforward racism" and said Abdi-Wali had spent decades in the country and made a significant contribution to her local community. Reynolds answered "Absolutely" when asked if the post amounted to plain racism.
Other party voices also reacted. Nadine Dorries described the post as "nasty" and said she wished Yusuf would close his Twitter account. Laila Cunningham, Reform’s candidate for mayor of London, said she did not understand the remark and stressed that Abdi-Wali is British and leads Camden council.
Abdi-Wali arrived in Camden as a child refugee from Somalia. Labour says she has spent more than a decade volunteering and serving as a trustee for local charities, and that she is a governor of two borough schools. She was first elected as a councillor in 2022 and became council leader in May. In a statement after taking the leadership she said, "Camden has been my home for 35 years."
The controversy lands as Labour prepares to choose a candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, expected to be announced by Wednesday. Labour faces a contest with the Green party in the seat, and Zack Polanski is widely expected to be named as the Greens’ candidate.
The episode has shifted focus onto Reform UK’s handling of internal dissent and the party’s messaging on immigration and national identity, while elevating scrutiny of candidates’ backgrounds in a high-profile London contest.
