Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform UK, changing into essentially the most senior ex-Conservative determine to affix Nigel Farage’s social gathering.
Zahawi, 58, was unveiled alongside Farage at a press convention in London, the place he warned that Britain was “consuming within the final probability saloon” and mentioned the nation “actually does want Nigel Farage as prime minister”.
In a video message asserting his transfer, the previous vaccines minister and chancellor mentioned: “Nothing works, there is no such thing as a progress, there’s crime on our streets and there’s an avalanche of unlawful migration that wherever else on this planet can be a nationwide emergency. I’ve made my thoughts up that the crew which is able to ship for this nation is the crew that Nigel will put collectively.”
The defection marks a dramatic political reversal for Zahawi, who as soon as insisted there was “no probability” he would ever be a part of Farage. Writing in 2014, he mentioned he had “been a Conservative all my life and can die a Conservative”. A 12 months later, he warned that Farage’s insurance policies may discriminate towards British residents born abroad.
Zahawi’s political profession spanned greater than a decade at Westminster. Elected as Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon in 2010, he held a sequence of senior cupboard roles underneath 4 prime ministers, rising to chancellor in 2022. He stepped down as an MP on the final common election after being pressured out of presidency over a dispute surrounding his tax affairs.
Born in Iraq, Zahawi arrived in Britain as a toddler refugee within the Seventies after fleeing Saddam Hussein’s regime. He has beforehand spoken about sitting behind a classroom aged 11, unable to talk English. He later co-founded polling firm YouGov and constructed a considerable private fortune, together with a big property portfolio.
His transfer provides additional momentum to Reform UK’s efforts to current itself as a reputable nationwide political pressure moderately than a single-person motion. Farage mentioned Zahawi’s defection helped dispel claims that Reform was a “one-man band”.
Zahawi follows a rising record of former Conservative MPs who’ve joined Reform, together with Nadine Dorries, Andrea Jenkyns and Lee Anderson, reflecting deepening fractures on the best of British politics.
The Conservatives dismissed the transfer, with a celebration spokesman describing Reform as “the social gathering of has-been politicians searching for their subsequent gravy prepare”. The spokesman added that Zahawi had beforehand mentioned he can be “frightened” to dwell in a rustic run by Farage, questioning the consistency of his views.
Regardless of that criticism, Zahawi insisted his assist for Reform mirrored the gravity of the second. “Even in the event you don’t but realise that Britain wants Reform,” he mentioned, “you understand in your coronary heart of hearts that our fantastic nation is sick.”
