In a move that underscores the deepening crisis within the Conservative Party, former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has officially defected to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The high-profile switch was announced at a press conference in Central London, dealing a symbolic blow to Rishi Sunak's beleaguered Tories and bolstering Farage's insurgent movement.
A Calculated Move for Political Survival
The defection, unveiled at the Institute of Directors, represents a stark political calculation by both men. For Zahawi, it is a lifeline for a career that appeared terminal after he lost his parliamentary seat in the 2024 election and was sacked as Tory party chair over a scandal involving a multi-million pound tax settlement. For Farage, it is an opportunity to inflict maximum damage on the Conservatives while adding a veneer of establishment credibility to his party.
Zahawi, presenting himself as a man with "more to give," claimed the country was on its last legs and positioned his move as a patriotic duty. This narrative faced immediate scrutiny, given his central role in the very governments he now criticises. His defection follows other former Conservatives like Lee Anderson and Andrea Jenkyns into Reform's ranks, leading critics to label the party a "convalescent home" for politically redundant Tories.
Overlooking a Controversial Past
Farage displayed a protective attitude towards his latest recruit, brushing aside pointed questions about Zahawi's chequered history. This includes the £5 million tax bill that resulted in a 30% penalty for careless behaviour—a serious matter for a former Chancellor of the Exchequer. Farage also dismissed Zahawi's past criticisms, including a 2015 tweet where Zahawi stated he "could never live in a country run by Farage" and accused him of fostering division.
When confronted, Zahawi claimed to have known Farage for "all of 10 minutes" and declared there wasn't "a racist bone in his body," a defence that extended to Farage's own controversies. The former MP even offered the cryptic assertion that "coffee is racist" when pressed on logical inconsistencies. The event also saw Zahawi grow tetchy, snapping at a Daily Telegraph journalist for asking what he deemed a "stupid question" about his finances.
Strategic Gains and the Stench of Opportunism
Analysts see the defection as a clear strategic win for Farage. Each high-profile Tory defector helps Reform shed its image as a one-man band and creates a powerful narrative of a sinking Conservative ship being abandoned by its own crew. Farage reportedly believes "you can never have too many rats leaving a sinking ship," as they generate their own momentum and media coverage.
For Zahawi, the move is widely perceived as naked opportunism. Having reportedly sought a peerage from senior Tory Kemi Badenoch just weeks prior, his leap to Reform appears driven by a desperate desire for political relevance. His claim that he let his Tory membership lapse in December, unrelated to any rejection, rings hollow to many observers. The spectacle underscored a profound level of self-delusion, with Zahawi seemingly believing the nation was clamouring for his return.
The press conference further highlighted Reform's controversial stances, with Farage defending the party's platforming of a medic who falsely linked the King's cancer to Covid vaccines as a matter of "free speech." As the event concluded, the unspoken promise of future reward hung in the air, with Farage hinting that a peerage for Zahawi might be forthcoming—just as soon as it was within his gift to bestow.
