Reform UK is facing internal pressure following its defeat to Labour in the Makerfield by-election, with senior figures urging party leader Nigel Farage to reconsider the party’s current direction and personnel decisions. The contest has intensified debates within Reform over its stance on far-right extremism and its approach to emerging rival parties on the right.

Several party insiders are reportedly advocating that Farage resist pushing Reform further to the right, particularly by reining in the influence of Zia Yusuf, the party's home affairs spokesman. Yusuf, described by some within the party as “trigger happy,” has been a source of internal tension, having publicly criticized fellow party members in the past and briefly resigning last year after attacking Sarah Pochin, a newly elected Reform MP. Some members view Yusuf as emblematic of a broader rightward shift that has emerged amid concerns about being outflanked by Rupert Lowe’s Restore party.

During the by-election campaign, both Reform and Restore highlighted recent incidents of violent crime involving ethnic minorities. These included the murder of Henry Nowak, reportedly by a Sikh individual, and an attack in Belfast linked to a Sudanese man’s arrest. Farage called for “pure, cold rage” in response to the murder, while Yusuf announced plans to impose a “total ban” on visas from Sudan, stating that Farage would “reverse the invasion” and end such incidents. Similarly, Lowe echoed the call to ban Sudanese nationals from the UK.

Restore, which presents itself as a more hardline alternative, released a crowdfunded report accusing the government of failing to address a grooming gang scandal, referring to it as “the rape of Britain.” Lowe criticized Reform’s life imprisonment policy for offenders as insufficient, instead advocating for the death penalty.

A senior Reform source acknowledged that Lowe’s party had unsettled Reform’s leadership, saying the party must choose between continuing “the Yusufication of Reform” or returning to the more measured instincts Farage has historically maintained. The source emphasized that despite tactical voting challenges, Reform remains the main right-wing contender but must focus on countering voter shifts rather than fixating on Restore.

Farage has continued to address supporters on social media, calling on those who defected to Restore to reconsider. In a video posted shortly after the by-election, he described Reform as “the challenger party to the left” and urged voters to rethink their allegiances.

Commenting on these dynamics, Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future thinktank, noted that Farage’s long-held position—refusing to occupy the extremist far-right space—is facing unprecedented pressure within his party.

Reform UK declined to comment on internal party matters when approached.