Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's spokesperson for home affairs speaks at a press conference in London, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Zia Yusuf was hit with a brutal three-word reminder of his own family background after his latest attack on migrants. Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman hit out at the number of people living in the UK who were born abroad. He said that represented an “unprecedented betrayal” by both the Tories and Labour. In a post on X, he said: “A staggering 1 in 5 people now living the UK were born abroad. A new record. 13.1 million foreign born people lived here in 2024. That’s up 143% in a decade. “That’s what the Tories and Labour did to this country. After promising repeatedly to cut immigration. Unprecedented betrayal.” But Yusuf was soon reminded of his own family history by Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake, who replied: “Including your parents.” Including your parents 🤷♂️ https://t.co/bGkpFNVhHY — Kevin Hollinrake MP (@kevinhollinrake) September 16, 2026 That was a reference to the fact that Yusuf’s mum and dad were born in Sri Lanka and emigrated to the UK in the 1980s. They both went on to work in the NHS. The latest row comes just two weeks after Yusuf was accused of racism after he attacked a Samali-born Labour council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali, who has since been chosen as her party’s candidate in next month’s Holborn and St Pancras by-election, came to the UK as a child refugee with her family more than 30 years ago. She became a Labour councillor in 2022, and has been leader of Camden Council in north London since May. Yusuf posted on X: “The front runner being foisted on the people of Holborn by Labour to replace the former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in our Parliament was born in Somalia. Do you understand what’s happening?” Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “This is racism, straight out of the Trump playbook. “Reform are trying to turn our great country into a franchise of Trump’s America. There are countless British patriots who came here from overseas, many of them refugees we proudly welcomed. That’s the kind of country we are.” Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Reform Civil War Erupts Again As Senior Figure Quits Party With Blast At Zia Yusuf 'Straight-Up Racism': Minister Slams Zia Yusuf Over Attack On Labour Council Leader Zia Yusuf Accused Of Plotting To Replace Nigel Farage Amid Donations Row