Jenrick calls for Reform UK to ‘boot’ out ex-chair over antisemitic social media post

Robert Jenrick has called for Reform UK to give ex-chairman Zia Yusaf the “boot” over his apology for “liking” an antisemitic social media post attacking the Tory politician “as a traitor for having a Jewish wife and family.”

In an increasingly toxic row Rael Braverman, the Jewish husband of Tory former minister Suella, also confirmed he had quit Nigel Farage’s party because of attacks on his wife by Yusaf.

On Friday it emerged that Yusaf, who now heads up Reform’s government efficiency department, had liked a social media post that branded the Conservative minister Robert Jenrick  a “traitorous zogbot with a Jewish wife and family.”

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Yusef apologised on Friday suggesting “one of the team” was responsible after his own social media platform on X liked that extreme far-right post which also suggested Jews were responsible for “importing brown savages to rape our women and children.”

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A far-right account on X named British Racial Chauvinism had initially posted:”Reminder that Jenrick is a traitorous Zogbot with a Jewish wife and family.

“I’m sure its unrelated that he imported infinite brown savages to rape our women and children.”

A Jewish user on X who posts under the name @ZoomerHistorian, had exposed how Yusef’s account had liked the post.

But in an angry response to Yusef’s explanation that a member of his team had “liked” the post, Jenrick wrote on X:”I call bullshit.

“You’ve spent the last 48 hours calling me a ‘traitor’ for not drawing attention to a leaked spreadsheet with our special forces and MI6 officers’ names on.

“But we’re meant to believe this tweet attacking me as a traitor for having a Jewish wife & family was liked ‘accidentally’ by ‘one of the team.’ You must think we’re all thick.

“No. The mask has slipped. Likes are private.

“You thought nobody would ever know.

“Unfortunately for you, the racist account who posted the tweet and could see the likes exposed you. “Reform should give you the boot.”

Meanwhile Suella Braverman’s husband Rael also turned on Yusef, and revealed he had quit Reform because it was being “led” by the former chairman.

“I left Reform because I cannot be in a party ‘led’ by Zia Yusuf,” wrote Rael on X.

Earlier in the week Yusef had launched an attack on former Tory minister Suella Braverman, claining she had been involved in a cover-up over the Minister of Defence’s Afghan leak.

Suella denied the claim.

Rael  announced he was leaving the party he joined only in January earlier this week.

Jenrick, who is currently shadow justice secretary, but is tipped as possible leadership contender for the Tories in place of Kemi Badenoch, is married to Israeli-born corporate lawyer Michal Berkner.

He has been outspoken in his support of Israel, and has taken an increasingly hard line on immigration over the past couple of years.

Jenrick had been Immigration Minister himself under the last Tory government.