As millions prepare to cast their votes, Zia Yusuf’s recent declaration that a Reform government would focus on locating migrant detention centers in constituencies represented by Green MPs or councils has certainly grabbed attention.
The shadow home secretary of Reform expressed this sentiment with evident enthusiasm in a video recorded along the seafront in Brighton, the constituency that elected the UK’s first Green MP. “This means areas like right here in Brighton,” he stated, highlighting the significance of the policy.
In conjunction with this announcement, a new webpage was launched, allowing voters to enter their postcode to determine if their area would be prioritized for a detention center. For instance, entering the postcode E8 1EA, associated with Hackney town hall—where the Greens are favored to win council elections this week—produces a warning message stating: “Yes – on the list. Your area will be prioritized to receive a detention center under this policy. Stand with Reform to change that.”
The response to this initiative has been swift and critical, with opposition from both the Greens and Labour, who labeled the policy as “disgusting” and “grotesque.” The Conservatives, on the other hand, ridiculed it as “not a serious policy” and merely a fabrication for social media purposes. Imran Hussain, director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, described the proposal as “unworkable and profoundly un-British.”
Recent YouGov polling revealed that 45% of over 4,000 adults surveyed believed it was inappropriate for a government to make decisions affecting specific constituencies based on the political party supported in a general election. Among Reform’s own supporters, 37% found such practices unacceptable, while 34% deemed them acceptable.
This raises the question: what is Reform attempting to achieve? Clearly, the need for social media visibility plays a role; as of Tuesday, the Brighton video had amassed 3.7 million views on Yusuf’s X account. Yusuf, much like Green leader Zack Polanski, lacks the advantages of a parliamentary platform.
However, a broader strategy seems to underpin this policy, which appears to have originated largely from Yusuf’s office—a reflection of a party that Nigel Farage has described as evolving beyond a “one man band.” One insider remarked, “Zia’s office moves in marvelous and mysterious ways.”
Ultimately, Reform aims to position itself and the Greens as the primary alternatives for voters in the upcoming English council elections. Yusuf asserted, “It’s clear that the failed uniparty era is over, and there is a battle for the soul of our country between Reform and the Greens,” having previously challenged Polanski to a live debate without success.
The target audience for this policy seems to extend beyond areas where the Greens are anticipated to gain ground, reaching out to traditional Labour strongholds in London and other urban areas.
John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, noted, “Reform is a very modern political party that thrives on outrage and aims to incite anger. In a low-turnout election, as local elections typically are, this strategy is intended to ensure that their supporters remain engaged.”
Reform’s core policy on deportation was initially outlined last August with the introduction of their “Operation Restoring Justice,” which pledged to deport hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers, pay authoritarian regimes like the Taliban to accept them, and dismantle the UK’s postwar human rights commitments. The plan included a five-year “emergency programme” to identify, detain, and deport illegal immigrants.
This week’s announcement from Yusuf marks a shift from that original plan, notably omitting references to Hackney, Lambeth, or Brighton. Instead, the party indicated that Secure Immigration Removal Centres (SIRCs) designed to accommodate up to 24,000 individuals would be established in “remote parts of the country.”
Whether this change was influenced by focus groups assessing voter sentiment remains uncertain, although the party certainly has the financial resources to conduct such research.
Nevertheless, it’s essential to recognize the competition for a notable segment of voters who are contemplating a choice between the Greens and Reform—two parties that, despite their apparent ideological differences, both position themselves as agents of populist change.
Green activists have taken note of Reform’s policy as they campaign in regions where they believe they can capitalize on the electorate’s desire for change. James Meadway, a former adviser to ex-Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell and now a Green candidate in the Bromley North ward of Tower Hamlets council, remarked that during door-to-door conversations, concerns regarding bread-and-butter issues dominate discussions rather than Reform’s policies. He suggested that while Reform’s initiative primarily targets its core supporters, it also reflects the sentiments of individuals who are frustrated with the current state of affairs and seek transformative change.
