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Former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has go the latest - and astir elder - Tory to defect to Reform UK.
The ex-MP and vaccines curate during the COVID pandemic said the UK was "drinking astatine the past accidental saloon" and "really does request Nigel Farage arsenic premier minister".
Having served nether the 4 latest Conservative premier ministers, including arsenic chancellor for 2 months nether Boris Johnson, helium is the astir elder erstwhile Tory MP to articulation Reform.
He is besides the 20th ex-Conservative MP to defect since March 2024.
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Announcing his determination astatine a quality league connected Monday, alongside Reform person Mr Farage, the Iraqi exile said helium switched due to the fact that the Conservative Party is simply a "defunct brand" that could nary longer signifier the adjacent government.
A Conservative root told Sky News that Mr Zahawi, who stood down arsenic an MP successful 2024, had asked the Tories for a peerage respective times, including successful the past fewer months up of the astir caller governmental peerages list.
However, helium was told this was "never going to happen" arsenic helium was sacked arsenic Tory enactment chairman by then-prime curate Rishi Sunak successful 2023 for failing to state helium was being investigated by HMRC implicit his taxation affairs.
Mr Zahawi told Sky News that was "not true" and helium has a connection "from the top" astir wanting to springiness him a peerage and that Tory person Kemi Badenoch and her squad would interaction him successful 2026.
He said Ms Badenoch and her squad "came for assistance and advice" and asked him to conscionable her husband, Hamish Badenoch, doubly due to the fact that helium said helium is "taking complaint astatine CCHQ".
The businessman insisted helium had been fixed "no promises astatine all" astir what relation helium would person successful Reform - but did not regularisation retired becoming a Reform MP oregon peer.
Read more:
Who is Nadhim Zahawi? Former kid exile to apical Tory to Reform defector
Mr Farage said Mr Zahawi's determination helped to dispel suggestions Reform UK is simply a "one-man band".
Asked astir the HMRC investigation, which ended with Mr Zahawi paying a astir £5m penalty, Mr Farage said: "There's cipher with a analyzable concern empire that does not person to person negotiations astatine immoderate constituent with HMRC.
"That is however the satellite works, and I'd overmuch alternatively person Nadhim who has been done that acquisition and travel retired the different end.
"He could person conscionable gone abroad. He could person conscionable disappeared for a fewer years, not paid immoderate tax, which by the way, progressively is what radical are doing."
Anti-Farage tweets
Mr Zahawi's defection whitethorn travel arsenic a astonishment to some, fixed his erstwhile comments astir Reform and Mr Farage.
He antecedently ruled retired joining Reform, saying: "No chance. Been a Conservative each my beingness and volition dice a Conservative."
The businessman, successful a tweet deleted connected Monday, besides called comments by Mr Farage successful 2015 "offensive and racist" and said helium would beryllium "frightened" to unrecorded successful a state tally by him aft the then-UKIP person said it was "ludicrous" employers could not take British workers implicit Polish ones.
In 2022, Mr Farage said Zahawi's promotion to chancellor showed "all he's funny successful is climbing that greasy pole".
Mr Zahawi denied his determination was astir his vocation oregon that helium thought Mr Farage was racist.
"If I thought this antheral sitting adjacent to maine successful immoderate mode had an contented with radical of my colour oregon my inheritance who person travel to this country, who person integrated, assimilated, are arrogant of this country, worked hard successful this country, paid millions of pounds successful taxes successful this country, invested successful the country, I wouldn't beryllium sitting adjacent to him," helium said, with Mr Farage beside him.
Anti-vaccine questions
The erstwhile COVID vaccines curate besides batted distant questions astir Aseem Malhotra, an advisor to US wellness caput Robert F Kennedy Jr, who linked COVID vaccines to crab successful the Royal Family during Reform's league past year.
Mr Farage brushed it disconnected arsenic providing a level for escaped speech.
Mr Malhotra's claims were condemned by starring viral immunologist Professor Brian Ferguson, from Cambridge University, who said: "There is nary credible grounds that these vaccines disrupt tumour suppressors oregon thrust immoderate benignant of process that results successful cancer."
The Conservatives said Mr Zahawi's determination is the latest successful a fig of "has-been politicians looking for their adjacent gravy train".
Other parties deed out
A Conservative spokesperson added: "Their latest enlistee utilized to accidental he'd beryllium 'frightened to unrecorded successful a country' tally by Nigel Farage, which shows the level of loyalty for sale.
"Reform privation higher payment spending and higher taxes. They are a one-man set with nary program for our country."
The Liberal Democrat MP for Mr Zahawi's aged spot of Stratford-upon-Avon, Manuela Perteghella, said: "Reform is becoming a status location for disgraced erstwhile Conservative ministers."
Before Monday, sitting MP Danny Kruger, who was a Tory shadiness furniture subordinate astatine the time, was the astir elder Tory to person defected to Reform.
Labour Party seat Anna Turley said Reform has "no shame" arsenic Mr Zahawi is simply a "discredited and disgraced person who volition beryllium everlastingly tied to the Tories' shameful grounds of nonaccomplishment successful government".
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