Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has praised Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle as “brilliant” just hours after Zia Yusuf, one of the party’s most senior figures, accused him of being “a coward”.
The sharply different language points to an awkward split inside Reform over how the party is handling the security row that has followed the death of Ann Widdecombe.
The background
Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister who later became a Reform spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Devon on Thursday. A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation.
Her death has triggered intense debate over the safety of MPs and public figures, with Reform politicians claiming the party has been left exposed despite repeated warnings about threats. But the party’s message became harder to follow after Yusuf launched a furious attack on Hoyle, only for Tice to praise the Speaker’s commitment to MP security later the same day.
Yusuf attacks Hoyle
Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, claimed on Sunday that Parliament, the government and the police did not “care at all” about the safety of Reform MPs. That prompted pushback from Commons officials, who insisted all MPs are offered appropriate security measures. Hoyle is also understood to have spoken directly to Lee Anderson, Reform’s chief whip, about Yusuf’s comments.
Yusuf then escalated the row on X. “Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House, has no jurisdiction over me,” he wrote. “I am not afraid of him.” He accused Hoyle of being “a bully” and claimed the Speaker had failed to reply to a letter from a female Reform MP asking for help with security until after Yusuf had raised the issue publicly.
“If this is not true then I invite him to deny it on the record rather than try and bully the very people he has let down,” Yusuf added. “Instead he briefs the press like a coward. He is a disgrace to his office.”
It was a striking intervention, not least because it directly targeted the Speaker at a moment when Parliament is trying to project unity around MP safety.
Tice takes a different tone
Hours later, Tice appeared on BBC’s Newsnight and gave a noticeably different account of Hoyle’s role. He said he had raised concerns with the Speaker earlier in the year, including in a letter warning that “something terrible and potentially fatal might happen”.
Then came the line that cut across Yusuf’s attack. “The Speaker has been brilliant,” Tice said. “His resolute determination about ensuring the security of all MPs is robust.”
Tice did still argue that failings had been exposed. He said Reform had “found failings” and “found wantings” in the system operating beneath Hoyle. But that is not the same as calling the Speaker a coward or a disgrace. The contrast matters because it leaves Reform accusing the system of failure while disagreeing, in public, about whether one of the key figures responsible for MP welfare has helped or hindered them.
A difficult moment for Reform
The security row comes during an already febrile period for Reform. Nigel Farage has accepted an offer from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to meet the body responsible for organising protection for public figures. Reform has also said it is now paying for round-the-clock security for its MPs.
Those are serious claims and concerns. MPs have faced rising threats and abuse in recent years, and the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess remain central to any discussion about political safety.
But the party’s handling of Widdecombe’s death has also brought criticism. Farage has already been accused by Harvey Proctor, a close friend of Widdecombe, of exploiting her murder for “political propaganda” after publicly speculating on the case while police had asked people not to comment on motive.
Now Reform is dealing with a second messaging problem: Yusuf and Tice appearing to say very different things about the same Speaker and the same security system. This is not the first time Yusuf’s public interventions have drawn scrutiny for their tone and accuracy, with previous broadcast appearances also generating pointed pushback over his handling of contested claims.
Yusuf is presenting Hoyle as part of the problem. Tice is saying Hoyle has been “brilliant” but that the wider system has still fallen short. Those positions are not impossible to reconcile, but they are politically messy. And at a moment when Reform is trying to argue that its MPs face serious security risks, the party’s internal discipline is now part of the story too.
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Joe Connor is a UK-based reporter specialising in politics, public policy, and national affairs. He has previously contributed to publications including The London Economic (JOE Media Group) and Spotted News.
At The Daily Britain, he covers Westminster politics, elections, and breaking political developments, alongside in-depth analysis of policy decisions and their real-world impact.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has praised Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle as “brilliant” just hours after Zia Yusuf, one of the party’s most senior figures, accused him of being “a coward”.
The sharply different language points to an awkward split inside Reform over how the party is handling the security row that has followed the death of Ann Widdecombe.
The background
Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister who later became a Reform spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Devon on Thursday. A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation.
Her death has triggered intense debate over the safety of MPs and public figures, with Reform politicians claiming the party has been left exposed despite repeated warnings about threats. But the party’s message became harder to follow after Yusuf launched a furious attack on Hoyle, only for Tice to praise the Speaker’s commitment to MP security later the same day.
Yusuf attacks Hoyle
Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, claimed on Sunday that Parliament, the government and the police did not “care at all” about the safety of Reform MPs. That prompted pushback from Commons officials, who insisted all MPs are offered appropriate security measures. Hoyle is also understood to have spoken directly to Lee Anderson, Reform’s chief whip, about Yusuf’s comments.
Yusuf then escalated the row on X. “Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House, has no jurisdiction over me,” he wrote. “I am not afraid of him.” He accused Hoyle of being “a bully” and claimed the Speaker had failed to reply to a letter from a female Reform MP asking for help with security until after Yusuf had raised the issue publicly.
“If this is not true then I invite him to deny it on the record rather than try and bully the very people he has let down,” Yusuf added. “Instead he briefs the press like a coward. He is a disgrace to his office.”
It was a striking intervention, not least because it directly targeted the Speaker at a moment when Parliament is trying to project unity around MP safety.
Tice takes a different tone
Hours later, Tice appeared on BBC’s Newsnight and gave a noticeably different account of Hoyle’s role. He said he had raised concerns with the Speaker earlier in the year, including in a letter warning that “something terrible and potentially fatal might happen”.
Then came the line that cut across Yusuf’s attack. “The Speaker has been brilliant,” Tice said. “His resolute determination about ensuring the security of all MPs is robust.”
Tice did still argue that failings had been exposed. He said Reform had “found failings” and “found wantings” in the system operating beneath Hoyle. But that is not the same as calling the Speaker a coward or a disgrace. The contrast matters because it leaves Reform accusing the system of failure while disagreeing, in public, about whether one of the key figures responsible for MP welfare has helped or hindered them.
A difficult moment for Reform
The security row comes during an already febrile period for Reform. Nigel Farage has accepted an offer from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to meet the body responsible for organising protection for public figures. Reform has also said it is now paying for round-the-clock security for its MPs.
Those are serious claims and concerns. MPs have faced rising threats and abuse in recent years, and the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess remain central to any discussion about political safety.
But the party’s handling of Widdecombe’s death has also brought criticism. Farage has already been accused by Harvey Proctor, a close friend of Widdecombe, of exploiting her murder for “political propaganda” after publicly speculating on the case while police had asked people not to comment on motive.
Now Reform is dealing with a second messaging problem: Yusuf and Tice appearing to say very different things about the same Speaker and the same security system. This is not the first time Yusuf’s public interventions have drawn scrutiny for their tone and accuracy, with previous broadcast appearances also generating pointed pushback over his handling of contested claims.
Yusuf is presenting Hoyle as part of the problem. Tice is saying Hoyle has been “brilliant” but that the wider system has still fallen short. Those positions are not impossible to reconcile, but they are politically messy. And at a moment when Reform is trying to argue that its MPs face serious security risks, the party’s internal discipline is now part of the story too.
-
Joe Connor is a UK-based reporter specialising in politics, public policy, and national affairs. He has previously contributed to publications including The London Economic (JOE Media Group) and Spotted News.
At The Daily Britain, he covers Westminster politics, elections, and breaking political developments, alongside in-depth analysis of policy decisions and their real-world impact.
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