Reform boss praises Tommy Robinson for work on grooming gangs - but vows he will never join party

Zia Yusuf, Reform's former chairman, told a fringe event at the party's conference at the NEC in Birmingham that he recognised Mr Robinson's activism.

Mr Yusuf was announced as the party's new head of policy by Nigel Farage on the first day of the two-day conference on Friday.

Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who founded the English Defence League (EDL) has previously been jailed for contempt of court after repeating false allegations about a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him for libel.

In 2019, he also served time in prison for putting grooming trials in Huddersfield at risk by breaking reporting restrictions that were in place to ensure the proceedings were fair.

Speaking to Spectator editor and former education secretary Michael Gove at an event on Friday, Mr Yusuf was asked who was worse, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn or Mr Robinson.

Mr Yusuf said Mr Corbyn was worse as he said he would not use the nuclear deterrent, "rendering our entire Trident programme null and void".

He went on to say: "I would say this too. Tommy Robinson has said things about the rape gangs, and was making those arguments for years, and was disparaged and has been proven to be correct on those matters and deserves some credit for that."

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The answer was applauded by some members of the audience.

He was asked by Mr Gove whether Mr Robinson would be allowed to join Reform, with Mr Yusuf immediately saying "No".

The BBC reported that in 2014, Mr Robinson told an Oxford Union debate that police in the UK had facilitated the "rape of children" by grooming gangs from predominantly Asian backgrounds for more than 20 years.

"We have a two-tier police force that treats crimes within the Muslim community differently," he told the event.

He has been a vocal campaigner on social media on the topic.

Mr Yusuf's verdict on whether Mr Robinson would be allowed to join the party follows similar comments by Mr Farage in January. The party's leader had said the far-right activist would not be allowed to join Reform, despite billionaire X owner Elon Musk praising him.

Mr Farage had told broadcasters in January: "Everyone says, well, what about (Mr Musk's) comments on Tommy Robinson?

"Look, my position is perfectly clear on that. I never wanted Tommy Robinson to join UKIP, I don't want him to join Reform UK, and he won't be."