Overview
- Nadhim Zahawi announced his move at a Westminster press conference alongside Nigel Farage, declaring that Britain "really does need" Farage as prime minister.
- Zahawi becomes the most senior former Conservative to join Reform UK, adding to more than 20 ex-Tory defections as the party sustains strong polling.
- Both men said no role had been promised, though Farage signaled Zahawi’s responsibilities would be set out in the coming weeks and highlighted his fundraising track record.
- The Conservative Party condemned the defection as opportunistic, while opponents pointed to Zahawi’s deleted 2015 post calling Farage "offensive and racist."
- Zahawi was sacked as Tory chairman in 2023 over a failure to declare an HMRC probe and later paid nearly £5m to settle his tax liabilities, a dispute Farage defended as routine for complex businesses.