Boris Johnson was “one of the most damaging prime ministers in this country’s history”, according to the chair of Reform UK.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking podcast, Zia Yusuf said Johnson would not be welcome in his party.
“History will judge Boris Johnson as one of the most damaging prime ministers in this country’s history,” he told host Nick Robinson.
The increase in net migration during Johnson’s premiership was “a total betrayal of everybody who voted for Brexit”, Yusuf said. “He took public spending close to Soviet Union spending. So there was nothing Conservative about him.”
However, Yusuf said the former home secretary Suella Braverman would be welcome in Reform UK. He said he had had several meetings with Braverman, whom he said had been “excommunicated” and made a “pariah” by the Conservatives.
Yusuf said the party could win “350 to 400 Members of Parliament” at the next general election after Reform topped a YouGov voter intention poll for the first time earlier this week.
Reform UK came top in the YouGov poll with 25% support, compared with Labour on 24% and the Tories with 21%.
Talking about the polling results on BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking podcast, Yusuf said he thought his party “will win between 350 to 400 Members of Parliament” at the next general election, which must be held before August 2029.
The party returned five MPs in July’s general election but came second in 98 constituencies.
The YouGov result was the latest in a series of polls that suggest Reform have pulled level with, and possibly overtaken, the Conservatives in public opinion.
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Yusuf addressed concerns about Elon Musk providing a donation to Reform UK. The Reform leader, Nigel Farage, met Musk, the Tesla, X and SpaceX owner and Donald Trump ally, in December.
Yusuf told the podcast: “I can understand those concerns … We’re going to play by the rules.” He said the party was not a pressure group and was “here to win”.
Pushed on whether he would want Musk’s money, Yusuf said: “Who knows if he will or he won’t, but if he was to make a donation and it was within the rules and it helped us win, then why not?”
