Former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defects to Reform in Nigel Farage’s biggest coup yet
Former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform England in what represents the biggest blow yet for Nigel Farage.
The move will deal a major blow to Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who had hoped to turn around her party’s fortunes.
Mr Zahawi is stepping down as Conservative Party chairman in 2023 over questions about his tax affairs, it was announced by Mr Farage at a press conference in central London.
A leading Brexiteer, he becomes the latest in a long line of Boris Johnson’s former allies to defect to Reform, following former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, former president Sir Jake Berry, former education secretary Dame Andrea Jenkyns and former Brexit minister David Jones.
But Ms Badenoch’s office quickly hit back, branding Mr Zahawi “just another former politician looking for the next gravy train”.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Reform is fast becoming the party of old politicians looking for the next gravy train. Its most recent members would fear living in a country run by Nigel Farage”, which shows the level of loyalty to the sale.
“Reform wants higher welfare spending and higher taxes. They are a one-man band with no plan for our country.
“Under Kemi Badenoch, the Conservatives are showing that we have the plan, the capability and the team to get Britain started again.”
In a video message announcing his departure from Reform UK, Mr Zahawi said Britain was “drinking at the last chance bar” and “really needs Nigel Farage as prime minister”.
The former Conservative Chancellor added: “I decided that the team that would serve this nation would be the team that Nigel would build, and that’s why I decided to join Reform UK.”
Mr Zahawi said past tax issues – which he settled with HMRC for failing to pay all the tax due – “shouldn’t stop me from doing the right thing” and told me to rejoin the political fray.
Mr Farage stated that Mr Zahawi “could go abroad and not pay any tax”.
The former chancellor was one of the leading candidates to take over after Boris Johnson steps down as leader in 2022, but his campaign failed in a race ultimately won by Liz Truss.
The Iraq-born 58-year-old once attacked Mr Farage for his anti-foreigner rhetoric but insisted the tweet was 11 years ago and added: “If I thought this man had any problem with people of my color and background I wouldn’t be sitting next to him.”
He continued: “I wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t think Nigel Farage couldn’t be prime minister.”
Mr Zahawi said he was impressed by Reform UK observing him with international leaders: “He backs down when necessary, there is none of the sycophancy we see from the current prime minister.”
He also oversaw the Conservative government’s vaccination program in the early days of the pandemic; This was something Mr Farage was highly critical of at the time.
At Reform’s conference last September, the two gave the speech to King Henry III. Dr. used it to support the conspiracy theory that Covid-19 vaccines were a “major factor” in the cancer diagnosed in St. Charles. He refused to answer questions about giving a platform to Aseem Malhotra. Earlier, Reform chairman Dr David Bull said Dr Malhotra helped write Reform’s health policy.
But Mr Farage insisted he believed in “freedom of expression” and that the views were not party policy, while a testy Mr Zahawi described a journalist’s question on the issue as “silly”.
Mr Farage insisted the former Conservative big beast’s move into his party had helped dispel suggestions that Reform UK was a “one-man band”.
In 2023, Mr Farage released a video about Zahawi’s resignation, saying: “It has been clear for a week that Zahawi was going to have to go. Sunak is a follower, not a leader.”
But the Reform UK leader insisted at the press conference: “I have always [Mr Zahawi].”
He said his time as vaccines minister “proved that this man gets things done”.
