Former Tory Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi Joins Reform UK, Declares Conservatives 'Defunct'

On 12 Jan 2026, former UK Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi announced he was leaving the Conservative Party to join Reform UK at a press conference in London. A former COVID‑19 vaccines minister, Zahawi served under four Conservative prime ministers—including a brief two‑month stint as chancellor under Boris Johnson—and has been an MP for Stratford‑upon‑Avon. He claimed the Conservatives are a “defunct brand” and said the country “really does need Nigel Farage as prime minister”. His move makes him the most senior ex‑Tory MP to switch after 20 other former members defected since March 2024. Zahawi was previously denied a peerage by Kemi Badenoch, faced a £5 million HMRC penalty, and had publicly criticized Farage in 2015.