Unelected Reform mouthpiece Zia Yusuf called army veteran Ben Wallace a moron and traitor for criticising their prisons plan, and the irony was visible from space
In case you missed it, Reform UK has just rehashed an old policy to make it seem like a new initiative and grab some free publicity ahead of Thursday’s by-election in Clacton.
We’ll let the cult leader give you the details.
Reform will send prisoners back to their countries of origin.
If they refuse, they will be sent to third party countries like El Salvador. pic.twitter.com/r0cgJW4P4c
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) August 10, 2026
He and Zia Yusuf, Reform’s unelected, and probably unelectable, self-proclaimed Shadow Home Secretary, held a press conference, which was very widely reported.
Today’s hot news is that a man who isn’t an MP, assisted by another man who isn’t an MP, called a press conference to discuss an unworkable plan that had already been announced over a year ago. pic.twitter.com/Pvj7IHodgo
— Parody Nigel Farage (@Parody_PM) August 10, 2026
News that Farage has been discussing the plans with El Salvador raised eyebrows and questions.
In what capacity is Nigel Farage talking with the Salvadorian government?
Nigel Farage is not even an MP. He’s fighting a bin . https://t.co/btJmNlWeKb— Georgi Siana (@SianaNache79742) August 9, 2026
Of course, it should probably be taken with a pinch of salt.
Oh look
Reform announce a policy and within an hour one of the 4 countries Farage mentioned as a possibility – Estonia screams NOT A CHANCE https://t.co/16lQdcUl8G
— dave lawrence 🐟🐟🐠 (@dave43law) August 10, 2026
They might be better off announcing policies tailored to Clacton, so everyone knows what promises they’re going to break when they stop bothering to show up.
Another vitally important announcement. pic.twitter.com/FkH676eqnz
— Parody Nigel Farage (@Parody_PM) August 10, 2026
Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had some points for consideration.
If memory serves me right the top foreign nationalities in UK prisons are Irish, Polish, Romanian, Albanian and Baltics. Total number of foreign offenders always hovered around 10-11k. Reform have to answer a.) how they will force those countries to take these offenders. For…
— Rt. Hon Ben Wallace (@BenWallace70) August 10, 2026
That great loss to the diplomatic corps, Yusuf, was furious at the criticism.
Incredible that this moron was Defence Secretary.
Our policy today is in direct response to your government’s failures.
If their home countries won’t take back, their citizens that are languishing in our jails, we are renting spaces in countries like El Salvador to put them.… pic.twitter.com/FRHlr43sUj
— Zia Yusuf (@ZiaYusufUK) August 10, 2026
You don’t have to be a Tory to appreciate Wallace’s comeback.
oh look a lesson from a man who never put a uniform on..just worked at bank. A man who is literally making policy and facts up. A man who cant even get his own party to pick him as an MP ( tell us why please?). When Reform stop taking £5m bungs and start being honest with people…
— Rt. Hon Ben Wallace (@BenWallace70) August 10, 2026
i know what a real traitor looks like.. https://t.co/sIReZYR6I0
Do you?— Rt. Hon Ben Wallace (@BenWallace70) August 10, 2026
Ouch! In fact, the internet also stepped up to defend him.
1.
Beginning to think that Yusuf is no more than the unelected useful idiot that says the things Farage cannot but as soon as the reality of an election comes see Farage dropping him like a hot potato as being too much of a liability pic.twitter.com/iuOwLC7bJ3
— dave lawrence 🐟🐟🐠 (@dave43law) August 10, 2026
2.
Is it any wonder this platform attracts foul-mouthed trolls when those who should know better use inflammatory language like this? https://t.co/3ACaxi0g33
— Kay Burley (@KayBurley) August 10, 2026
3.
Let's set aside the fact it's not that long ago Zia Yusuf and his colleagues were demanding everyone moderate their rhetoric. Ben Wallace was an officer in the Scots Guards. He served in Northern Ireland, where he was Mentioned In Dispatches. Just the latest example of how… https://t.co/rpP8GoOYLt
— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) August 10, 2026
4.
Zia Yusuf – who isn’t even an MP – calling a former captain in the Scots Guards who served in Northern Ireland and was mentioned in dispatches a “traitor to Britain” is, by any measure, completely nuts. https://t.co/IQMia7u4JG
— Kevin Schofield (@KevinASchofield) August 10, 2026
5.
Is this the sort of language you use to talk about politicians you disagree with? It’s ugly and immature. You will not be able to prevent foreign prisoners returning here if they can’t go home because there’s no way El Salvador would sign a treaty taking responsibility for them.
— OldishBird (@oldishbird1) August 10, 2026
6.
Mate, Nigel can’t even secure his phone against Russia, how the fuck is he going to secure a nation?
Sit down.
— Mrs Smith (@SmithysMaud) August 10, 2026
7.
This party gets worse by the day. This is another odious man that’s clueless in what he spouts. We need grown up politics not this nastiness with no substance. https://t.co/hHsyVtjuIg
— John Mc (@JohnRobertMc) August 10, 2026
8.
Says a dickhead pretending to be Home Secretary, staggering. 🤦 https://t.co/rqX5uxd8x4
— Rameses Niblick III (@TheLittleWaster) August 10, 2026
9.
Another Trumpian move – calling a veteran a traitor.
So odd that the Reformers allow this behaviour- denigrating somebody who fought for their country – by a man who’s too afraid to even stand for election https://t.co/egIR87F7AT— The Accidental Disruptor (@The_A_Disruptor) August 10, 2026