TWO of Reform UK’s most senior figures are at odds over the party’s deportation policy.
Robert Jenrick was publicly slapped down by the party’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf after saying that foreign nationals living in social housing wouldn’t automatically be deported under a Reform UK government.
The rebuke came after a clip of Jenrick’s comments on the Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips show was shared online earlier this week.
Phillips asked the party’s justice spokesperson: “You’re saying to me that someone, a foreign person, who is legally resident but lives in social housing will be deported under a Reform government? Just because of that, they live in social housing.”
Jenrick replied: “Well not exclusively because of that.”
Robert Jenrick admits Reform UK will NOT deport foreign nationals living in social housing Trevor Phillips showed him Restore Britain's deportation plans and was clear "YOU DON'T AGREE WITH RESTORE'S POLICIES" There are approx. half a MILLION social homes currently occupied by… pic.twitter.com/JhHwfSomlm
— Basil the Great (@BasilTheGreat) May 24, 2026
The host said that Jenrick had “just said that’s what you agreed with”, to which the MP replied: “If they fail to meet our criteria because they’re not in work or they’re not working in as many hours, not earning enough money then they won’t be able to renew their work visa because [indefinite leave to remain] won’t exist and they’ll be asked to leave.”
Yusuf shared the clip saying that Jenrick had got Reform’s policy wrong.
He said: “Robert’s answer is not Reform policy. As the person responsible for our deportation plan I want ensure people know where we stand: If a foreign national lives in social housing at taxpayer expense, they automatically fail our economic test and will be deported.”
It comes after another senior figure expressed concern about the party’s “mass deportations” message.
Laila Cunningham, the Reform UK candidate for the London mayoral election in 2028, told an event earlier this month that the Tories were using her party’s language against them in Jewish areas of the English capital.
She claimed the Tories won over Jewish voters by telling them Reform were “going to get rid of the Muslims then get rid of the Jews” and said it showed that “when we talk about mass deportation, it's very easily weaponised”.
