Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has defected from Reform UK, becoming the most senior ex-Conservative to join Nigel Farage’s party.
Zahawi, 58, was presented alongside Farage at a press conference in London, where he warned that Britain was “drinking at the last chance” and said the country “really needs Nigel Farage as prime minister”.
In a video message announcing his move, the former vaccine minister and chancellor said: “Nothing is working, there is no growth, there is crime on our streets and there is a lot of immigration that could be an emergency across the country. I have decided that the team that will deliver this nation is the team that Nigel will put together.”
The defection marks a major political shift for Zahawi, who previously insisted there was “no chance” he would join Farage. Writing in 2014, he said “I have been a Conservative all my life and I will die a Conservative”. A year later, he warned that Farage’s policies could discriminate against British citizens born overseas.
Zahawi’s political career spanned more than a decade at Westminster. Elected Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon in 2010, he held a series of senior cabinet roles under four prime ministers, rising to chancellor in 2022. He stepped down as a Member of Parliament in the last general election after being forced out of government due to a dispute over his tax affairs.
Born in Iraq, Zahawi came to Britain as a child refugee in the 1970s after fleeing Saddam Hussein’s regime. He once spoke of sitting at the back of a class at age 11, unable to speak English. He later founded the polling company YouGov and built his personal fortune, including a large property portfolio.
His move adds momentum to Reform UK’s efforts to present itself as a credible national political force rather than a one-man force. Farage said Zahawi’s defection had helped dispel allegations that Reform was a “one-man party”.
Zahawi follows a growing list of Conservative MPs who have joined Reform, including Nadine Dorries, Andrea Jenkyns and Lee Anderson, reflecting a deep split on the right of British politics.
The Conservatives rejected the move, with a party spokesman describing Reform as “a bunch of ex-politicians looking for their next train”. The spokesman added that Zahawi had previously said he would be “scared” to live in a Farage-led country, questioning the coherence of his views.
Despite that criticism, Zahawi insisted that his support for Reform reflected the difficulties of this time. He said: “Even if you don’t realize that Britain needs a Reformation, you know in your heart that our wonderful country is sick.”
