Nadhim Zahawi defected to Reform UK just weeks after being rejected for a peerage by the Conservatives, according to Tory sources. The former chancellor asked Kemi Badenoch’s team for a seat in the House of Lords but was rebuffed because he had been sacked as party chair in 2023 over his tax affairs.
Zahawi was announced on Monday as Reform’s newest recruit, the most senior former Tory to join the party. He claimed Britain was on the brink of ‘civil unrest’ and only a government led by Nigel Farage could prevent it. However, the pair faced awkward questions at a press conference about Zahawi’s past comments calling Farage’s remarks ‘offensive and racist’.
The Conservatives revealed Zahawi had been in touch with senior party figures as recently as the end of last year. ‘Nadhim asked for a peerage several times. Given he was sacked for his dodgy tax affairs, this was never going to happen,’ a Tory source said. ‘His defection tells you everything you need to know about Reform being a repository for disgraced politicians.’
Zahawi said he let his Tory membership lapse in December before joining Reform as a ‘foot soldier’ with no specific role. He cited concerns about threats to freedom of speech and high taxes. Nick Candy, Reform’s treasurer, acted as a bridge between Zahawi and Farage.
At the press conference, Zahawi defended Farage over allegations of racism and antisemitism, saying he would not be sitting beside him if he believed he had a ‘racist bone in his body’. This came after a now-deleted 2015 tweet from Zahawi had criticised Farage’s comments as ‘offensive and racist’. Farage said Zahawi’s arrival would help bolster the party.
