Reform chairman suggests party could win ‘350 to 400 seats’ at next election

The president of Reform UK has predicted the enactment could triumph “350 to 400 Members of Parliament” astatine the adjacent wide election.

Zia Yusuf besides told the BBC helium does “understand” immoderate imaginable concerns implicit the imaginable of the enactment accepting a donation from tech billionaire Elon Musk.

It comes aft Reform topped a YouGov elector volition canvass for the archetypal clip this week.

The enactment returned 5 MPs successful July’s wide predetermination but came 2nd successful 98 constituencies.

If helium was to marque a donation and it was wrong the rules and it helped america win, past wherefore not?

Zia Yusuf connected a imaginable Elon Musk donation to Reform UK

Talking astir the polling results connected BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking podcast, Mr Yusuf said helium thought his enactment “will triumph betwixt 350 to 400 Members of Parliament” astatine the adjacent wide election, which indispensable beryllium held earlier August 2029.

Reform UK came apical successful the YouGov canvass with 25% support, compared with Labour connected 24% and the Conservatives with 21%.

The polling institution said the one-point pb is wrong the borderline of error.

The enactment besides precocious topped a nationalist sentiment canvass by Find Out Now, with 26% support.

Reform person Nigel Farage met Tesla, X and SpaceX proprietor and Donald Trump state Mr Musk successful December, with the billionaire rumoured to beryllium considering a ample donation to the party.

Rules preventing overseas donations mean Mr Musk could lone funnel immoderate donation done 1 of his UK-based businesses.

Political parties tin judge donations from a fig of sources, including individuals connected the UK electoral registry oregon a UK-registered company.

Asked astir concerns implicit donations from the tech billionaire, Mr Yusuf told the podcast: “I tin recognize those concerns… We’re going to play by the rules.”

He said the enactment is “not a unit group” and is “here to win”.

“We request 350 to 400 unthinkable Reform MPs to alteration the country,” helium added.

Pushed connected whether helium would privation Mr Musk’s wealth to marque that happen, Mr Yusuf said: “Who knows if helium volition oregon helium won’t, but if helium was to marque a donation and it was wrong the rules and it helped america win, past wherefore not?”

The YouGov effect was the latest successful a bid of polls which suggest Reform person pulled level with, and perchance overtaken the Conservatives successful nationalist opinion.

Mr Yusuf suggested connected the podcast helium would beryllium unfastened to erstwhile Tory location caput Suella Braverman joining Reform.

He said helium has a “huge magnitude of respect” for Ms Braverman, who is MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, and erstwhile asked if she would beryllium a bully Reform member, helium responded: “If Suella wanted to articulation Reform UK? Yeah, absolutely.”