Nigel Farage should consider sacking Reform chairman Zia Yusuf to stop the bitter feuding that threatens to destroy their party.
That is the controversial message from Raheem Kassam, a close ally of Mr Farage and who is also closely linked to Donald Trump’s White House.
It comes as Techne’s weekly tracker poll for The Independent has shown Reform falling to their lowest point since January in the wake of Mr Farage’s suspension of fellow Reform MP Rupert Lowe over claims that he made threats against Mr Yusuf.
Mr Lowe claimed Mr Farage threw him out of Reform because he had challenged Mr Farage’s leadership, deriding him as a “Messiah.”
Tensions between Mr Lowe and Mr Farage have simmered since Elon Musk said last year that the former Southampton chairman would be a better Reform leader than Mr Farage.
Mr Lowe denies the claims and says he has been targeted because he questioned the Reform leader’s “messianic” tendencies.
In his defence of Mr Farage, Mr Kassam suggested he should look at reorganising his top team.
He said: “Farage isn’t a dictator. He’s one of the most reasonable people in politics. He’s moved aside when it made sense, and he’s returned when asked.
“He’s also a meritocrat. If someone comes along who can run the party better than its current chairman, or if a deputy could help augment the work, he’d be all over it.”
He went on: “The problem is everyone has his number and any time anyone has a problem in the party they immediately call Nigel, and drag him into their fights. If he doesn’t side with them, or tries to stay neutral, they lash out. I’ve seen it a thousand times.
“If anything, he needs a militant chief of staff to police his time and keep him above the fray. This is the next prime minister we’re talking about now, not the MEP for the South East anymore. They need to get his team right and support him wholeheartedly. No one has put more into this movement than him. We owe him our loyalty.”
Mr Kassam is an influential MAGA figure in Republican circles who has been an important advocate of Mr Farage’s in the US bringing him as a keynote speaker for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
It comes as Techne UK’s latest weekly tracker poll for The Independent, shows that Reform have dropped to their lowest showing since the end of January after the chaos of the past week.
According to the result, Reform are down one point to 24 per cent, down two from their peak four weeks ago, while Kemi Badenoch’s Tories seem to be the main beneficiaries going up one to 22 per cent.
Labour are also down one point to 27 per cent but maintain a three-point lead, while the Lib Dems have hit their highest point in 2025 going up one to 14 per cent.
Reform are still favourite to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, but pressure is now on Mr Farage and his chairman Mr Yusuf to deliver victory there and prove the party is a serious threat in Labour areas.
But Reform’s slip in the polls appears to be related to the question marks over Nigel Farage’s leadership in the wake of the row with Mr Lowe.
The Great Yarmouth MP was suspended after claims were made of bullying in his office and he is being investigated the police over alleged threats to Mr Yusuf.
But Mr Lowe and his allies have alleged that he is the victim of a “witch hunt” as the latest leading figure seen as a threat to Mr Farage following Elon Musk endorsing him as an alternative leader.
The row has become the first serious crisis for Mr Farage and Reform since the general election where they at one point appeared to be on trajectory to possibly winning the next general election.
However, a number of critics have turned their fire on Mr Yusuf and his running of the party.
Techne’s UK’s chief executive Michela Morizzo, suggested the Reform’s vote share going down was a result of a difficult week but also linked it to Mr Farage’s close relationship with President Trump.
She said: “Reform UK has registered a one per cent point drop. Although modest, this decline may suggest a waning momentum for populist narratives at a time where Trump’s aggressive economic policies are reshaping global dynamics.”
But she noted that the issues with Reform are not bringing about a major recovery for the Tories.
She said: “The Conservatives have experienced a slight recovery, now at 22 per cent, which underscores the party’s ongoing difficulty in reversing its decline over recent years.”
Reform said that other Westminster opinion polls have shown support for the party rising in the past week despite the spat with Mr Lowe.
Find Out Now poll put Reform in first position three points clear of Labour in second and six points clear of the Conservatives in third.
Mr Farage said: "It’s clear that the country is crying out for change and voters continue to see Reform as a credible choice for government. Our momentum keeps growing, our poll figures are surging and we’re on track to win hundreds of seats in May’s local elections.”
