A row within Reform UK has burst into the open after the party’s leader Nigel Farage publicly slapped down one of his key allies for calling a former Tory defence secretary a ‘traitor’.

Mr Yusuf had even suggested that Ben Wallace, who is also a former soldier who served in Northern Ireland, should be prosecuted for his role in the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Asked about the “traitor” outburst, Mr Farage told The Sun: “That’s too strong a word. I shall give him a ticking off.”

He added: “I’ll speak to him today. But yeah, it’s over the top.”