Serco hits back after Zia Yusuf accuses FTSE 250 firm of being ‘hostile to Reform’

One of the UK government’s biggest private sector contractors has denied being hostile to Reform UK after the party’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf after accused it taking “political positions” against his immigration policy. Citing a report in the Telegraph that suggested FTSE 250 firm Serco would refuse to support Reform’s deportation plans if it entered government, Yusuf suggested the company “believes itself to be an alternative power base to the duly elected government of the United Kingdom, and is willing to act contrary to the interests of the British electorate”. “If this were true, I am sure you appreciate a Reform government would be left with no choice but to view Serco as a threat to national security,” Zusuf wrote in a letter sent to the firm and published on social media.

“We will not accept Serco or its representatives taking political positions as it suits you,” he said, adding that a Reform government would “initiate an accelerated review” of government contracts and exercise break clauses with Serco “where possible”. But Serco denied that it had taken any policy positions or taken issue with Reform’s immigration agenda. The firm added that “inaccuracies” in the Telegraph report were changed “following our representation”.

In a statement shared with City AM, the company said: “As a matter of longstanding company policy, Serco does not take political positions, nor do we comment on the policy programmes of political parties. “Policy decisions are matters for whatever party is in government. Serco’s responsibility is to deliver services as specified by the contracting authority as we have for the past 60 years.

“We operate across many parts of the immigration system, including detention and preparation for removals. We would expect to offer and perform such services in the future.” Serco operated over 100 asylum hotels Serco, which pockets more than £1bn annually from UK government contracts, is one of the main operators of asylum hotels and wid