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Nigel Farage has been warned he must choose between opposing factions as Reform's latest civil war showed no sign of abating on Wednesday.
With Mr Farage on holiday following the Clacton by-election, his party was branded a 'circus' by one insider following the fallout from a row over a senior member's suspension.
Tim Montgomerie, a well-known political commentator in Westminster, was booted out this week after branding Zia Yusuf 'a child' during a podcast.
Mr Montgomerie rebuked prolific tweeter Mr Yusuf, Reform's home affairs spokesman, for 'intemperate' use of social media, and warned: 'A lot of people are on not-speaking terms with Zia, and it's nearly always Zia who initiates it. It needs to end.'
The former editor of the Conservative Home website, who served as an adviser to Boris Johnson in Downing Street, was swiftly suspended by Reform, sparking fresh claims of civil war.
Mr Montgomerie suggested that Mr Farage knew nothing of his sudden fall from grace.
While some in Reform on Wednesday insisted that ousting Mr Montgomerie was merely a sign of 'growing pains', others backed him and warned that Mr Yusuf was making enemies in the party.
One top insider told the Daily Mail: 'All the MPs hate him, no one likes him. Unfortunately the ringmaster is on holiday, so the circus seems to be run by the chief clown, Zia Yusuf.'
Nigel Farage (pictured with Tim Montgomerie) has been warned he must chose between to opposing factions amid a Reform civil war
Montgomerie was kicked out of the party after he branded Zia Yusuf (pictured in 2026) 'a child' during a podcast
Another source said: 'There is a group in and around Zia who want rid of [Mr Montgomerie], and another group who are strong supporters. Nigel's caught in the middle of a party that is not a happy ship at the moment.
'A party that knows where it's going – momentum and direction-wise – wouldn't engage in this sort of thing.'
Mr Yusuf has proved to be one of the most controversial Reform politicians since he joined as its largest donor in the run-up to the 2024 general election. Last week, he caused fury after branding former defence secretary and ex-soldier Ben Wallace a 'traitor to
Britain', just weeks after accusing other parties of endangering Reform politicians by using inflammatory language.
Mr Yusuf quit as Reform chairman in June 2025 in a row over a call for burkas to be banned. But he was coaxed back by Mr Farage and put in charge of party policy.
Reform sources suggested on Wednesday night that the row between Mr Yusuf and Mr Montgomerie reflected a debate about how it should fight the next election.
Mr Yusuf is popular among hardline members, but internally others worry he will put off voters in Middle England whom Mr Farage will need to get into No10.
One insider said Mr Yusuf was 'pandering to the base, and that's not going to win us the next election. Nigel's going to have to choose between Zia and Tim'.
Another added: 'We've got a core vote of 20-22 per cent. If we're disciplined and coherent and go for Middle England rather than Restore voters, we could be incredibly competitive.'
An ally of Mr Yusuf defended him, insisting: 'We're an anti- establishment party. We do have to hate people in government.
'You can't read too much into Zia. If he gets angry on Twitter, he gets angry on Twitter. He doesn't do cryptic – if he doesn't like you he'll tell you.
'Tim is just nothing.'
Mr Montgomerie is reportedly meeting party chairman Lee Anderson next week to discuss his appeal against suspension.