Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf has criticised party members after footage appeared to show a protester having their hair pulled and head grabbed during a disturbance at the party’s conference.
The video, which has circulated widely on social media, captured the incident as Reform leader Nigel Farage delivered a speech at the party’s gathering in Birmingham on Friday afternoon.
In the clip, members of the audience can be seen forcibly handling a heckler, one of several demonstrators who attempted to disrupt Mr Farage’s keynote address.
Protesters were removed from the main conference hall at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre on four separate occasions during the event.
Following the emergence of the footage online, West Midlands Police urged a protester ejected from the Reform UK conference to contact officers.
The force said it had not received a direct complaint but asked the woman to make contact so officers can carry out further investigations.
A video being widely shared online revealed an incident during Reform leader Nigel Farage’s speech at his party’s conference in Birmingham on Friday afternoon
Demonstrators were thrown out of the main conference hall on four separate occasions at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham
During Mr Farage’s speech, two women stood up and held a banner reading ‘Reform works for billionaires’
Speaking at a conference fringe event on Saturday, Mr Yusuf – who is Reform’s home affairs spokesman – condemned the actions of some party members.
‘On the question of whether I condemn people punching people, yes, I condemn people punching people,’ he said.
Nadine Dorries, the ex-Tory minister who defected to Reform last year, told an event that people who disrupt the conference are ‘not really going to get gentle treatment’.
‘Somebody said to me it was shocking to see these protesters yesterday being treated the way they were,’ she said.
‘I think what is also pretty shocking was they thought they could come into this conference and one by one try and derail Nigel Farage’s speech.’
Ms Dorries said if people attempted to disrupt the conference, ‘you are not really going to get gentle treatment’.
She added: ‘Of course no one should be violent, no one should throw punches but… no one should come into this conference and try and disrupt it.’
Opening the second day of Reform’s conference from the main stage on Saturday, party chairman Lee Anderson said protesters who disrupted Mr Farage’s speech need to ‘get a job, get a life and get a shower’.
‘What about the few nuisances we had in the hall yesterday? The protesters? And I did see an old chap, a pensioner somewhere with a walking stick,’ he told party members.
‘Look, I don’t condone any sort of that behaviour, but if anybody wants to have a quick whip round later, we are collecting for a new walking stick. He’s in here somewhere.
‘Imagine paying 55 quid to get in here and then getting thrown out. They’d have been better off spending that money on the bus fare to the local job centre. I don’t think any of them have got a job.’
He added: ‘I’ve got a three-point plan, as you know, which is to get a job, get a life, and get a shower. I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request.’
Speaking at a conference fringe event on Saturday, Zia Yusuf – who is Reform’s home affairs spokesman – condemned the actions of some party members
The end of the first main day of the Reform conference saw a series of protests disrupting speeches – including Mr Farage’s
Activist group Climate Resistance claimed responsibility for the protest during Mr Farage’s conference speech on Friday.
In a comment they said they were ‘horrified at the violence’ from Reform conference attendees.
The group also said the protester is considering whether to come forward to police.
A statement from West Midlands Police said: ‘We’re aware of a video circulating from the Reform UK conference showing an incident with a protester.
‘We haven’t received a complaint but would ask the woman involved to come forward and contact us so we can carry out enquiries.
‘Anyone with any information should contact us on 101 quoting log number 924 of 5 September 2026.’
The end of the first main day of the Reform conference saw a series of protests disrupting speeches.
Demonstrators interrupted Mr Farage’s address shortly after his deputy Richard Tice had a banner displayed during his own speech referencing the scandal around a donation to Mr Farage.
The banner, which depicted Mr Farage in a top hat and carrying a bag of money, said: ‘Collect £5 million, burn the planet’.
It is believed it had been scheduled to appear during Mr Farage’s speech, but an hour’s delay to the start of the day meant it emerged during Mr Tice’s address.
During Mr Farage’s speech, two women stood up and held a banner reading ‘Reform works for billionaires’.
They were booed by audience members who shouted ‘out’. Audience members were also removed during three other disruptions.
Mr Farage laughed during the disruption and said: ‘We’ve got a screamer. Oh dear.’
Addressing the conference hall, the Reform leader said, ‘that poor young girl, she looked like she was going to do herself an injury’, before adding, ‘boring, boring, boring’.
A Climate Resistance spokesperson said: ‘We were horrified at the violence by Reform Party members against our peaceful protestors.
‘Farage should take responsibility for controlling his supporters rather than firing up an angry crowd. He’s been mired in scandal over donations and billionaire influence.
‘It’s important protesters can hold him to account without fear for their safety.’