Robert Jenrick and Zia Yusuf's bogus bromance

As Rats in a Sack wrote earlier this week, there is little love lost between Reform’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, and the man who defected to his party last week, Robert Jenrick.

The pair have history: last year, Jenrick accused Yusuf of “bullshit” after he said that a member of his team “accidentally pressed like” on an antisemitic X post attacking Jenrick’s wife, who is Jewish. Jenrick had also dubbed him ‘Zia Useless’.

For his part, Yusuf is said to have been the most lukewarm on Jenrick of Nigel Farage’s inner circle. Both are believed to have their eyes on the role of chancellor in a Reform government (as do, awkwardly, deputy leader Richard Tice and Jenrick’s fellow defector Nadhim Zahawi).

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Now, in an awkward photo op and pair of X posts made within 40 minutes of each other, the pair have outlined their unlikely love for each other. “Nigel Farage is building the most formidable team in British politics,” wrote Yusuf. “Having spent time with @RobertJenrick, I am convinced he will be a quality addition to Reform.

“Secure borders and deportations. Law and order. A thriving economy. Let’s get to work,” he added, complete with rocket and Union flag emojis.

Shortly afterwards, Jenrick reciprocated, posting: “Zia co-founded a business worth hundreds of millions of pounds and has now dedicated himself to fixing Britain. We share a contempt for the failure of our political class over the last two decades. I look forward to working with him to turn Britain around.”

Leaving aside that Jenrick was a part of that political class over the past two decades, it’s the least convincing show of togetherness since Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. The bromance between Yusuf, who has already walked out on a role in Reform before returning with his tail between his legs, and Jenrick, who has not joined the party to be second or third in command, should be fascinating…