The Aporia
The Aporia
Burford, R. (2026, September 6). Minister accuses Reform's Zia Yusuf of 'straightforward racism' over remark about London by-election contender. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/minister-reform-zia-yusuf-racism-holborn-st-pancras-byelection-b1295933.html
Burford, Rachael. “Minister accuses Reform's Zia Yusuf of 'straightforward racism' over remark about London by-election contender.” Evening Standard, 6 Sept. 2026, https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/minister-reform-zia-yusuf-racism-holborn-st-pancras-byelection-b1295933.html.
Burford, Rachael. “Minister accuses Reform's Zia Yusuf of 'straightforward racism' over remark about London by-election contender.” Evening Standard, September 6, 2026. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/minister-reform-zia-yusuf-racism-holborn-st-pancras-byelection-b1295933.html.
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Zia Yusuf, a Reform UK politician, has been accused of making a racist comment about Laila Cunningham, the Labour party's front-runner for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. On social media, Yusuf said that Cunningham, who is the leader of Camden council, was "born in Somalia", implying that she is not British. This statement was widely criticized as "straightforward racism" by Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, and other senior Reform UK figures. Cunningham, who was born to Egyptian immigrant parents, said she didn't understand what Yusuf meant by the comment and called it a "nasty tweet". The incident has sparked controversy within the Reform party.
