Nadhim Zahawi has left the Conservative Party to join Reform UK, confirming the move at a London press conference on Monday 12 January 2026. He argued that Britain is “broken” and said it was “time for another glorious revolution”, positioning Nigel Farage as the figure to assemble a governing team. Zahawi is Reform’s most senior Conservative recruit to date. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/former-uk-government-minister-zahawi-defects-reform-conservatives-2026-01-12/?utm_source=openai))
Zahawi is not currently an MP, having stood down in 2024 after representing Stratford‑on‑Avon since 2010. His ministerial record includes leading the UK’s COVID‑19 vaccine deployment from November 2020, serving as education secretary in 2021–22 and a brief spell as chancellor in July–September 2022. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/former-uk-government-minister-zahawi-defects-reform-conservatives-2026-01-12/?utm_source=openai))
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake and party sources claimed Zahawi had pressed for a House of Lords nomination in recent weeks and was turned down, citing concerns linked to his past tax affairs. Sky News reported that Tory sources said he “asked for a peerage several times”, a characterisation Zahawi rejected. ([news.sky.com](https://news.sky.com/story/politics-news-latest-zahawi-removed-from-position-over-serious-breach-of-ministerial-code-12593360))
Responding to those claims, Zahawi told Sky News he had a message “from the top” of the Conservative Party indicating they would look at elevating him and that Kemi Badenoch’s team would contact him in 2026. A source close to Zahawi separately argued he joined the only party he believes can “save Britain”. ([news.sky.com](https://news.sky.com/story/politics-news-latest-zahawi-removed-from-position-over-serious-breach-of-ministerial-code-12593360))
The propriety checks for life peerages are undertaken by the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC), which advises the prime minister if it has concerns about nominees’ standing with regulators or conduct that could bring the Lords into disrepute. Parties decide whom to nominate; HOLAC does not judge party nominees’ policy “suitability”. Crossbench peerages are run through a separate, open nominations process. ([lordsappointments.independent.gov.uk](https://lordsappointments.independent.gov.uk/vetting?utm_source=openai))
Zahawi’s record on standards is part of the backdrop. On 29 January 2023, the prime minister removed him as Conservative Party chair after the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests concluded there had been a serious breach of the Ministerial Code regarding disclosure of an HMRC investigation. The dismissal and findings are recorded in official correspondence published by No 10. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-from-the-independent-adviser-on-ministers-interests-january-2023/letter-from-the-prime-minister-to-the-rt-hon-nadhim-zahawi-29-january-2023?utm_source=openai))
At the Reform UK event, Zahawi said the Conservatives carried “some blame” for the UK’s current position and that Britain needs Farage as prime minister. He framed his move as support for a tougher approach on migration, a reassertion of parliamentary authority and opposition to what he described as bureaucratic inertia. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jan/12/grok-x-nudification-technology-online-safety-labour-reform-tories-lib-dems-uk-politics-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6964e1838f088556bc3afd9d&utm_source=openai))
Farage presented Zahawi’s arrival as evidence Reform is broadening beyond a single‑leader vehicle and said more Conservatives are in contact about joining. Broad opposition responses were scathing: Labour figures called Zahawi “discredited”, while Liberal Democrats said Reform risks becoming a retirement home for disgraced former ministers. ([itv.com](https://www.itv.com/news/2026-01-12/ex-conservative-chancellor-nadhim-zahawi-defects-to-reform-uk?utm_source=openai))
The timing matters. Scotland and Wales hold devolved elections on Thursday 7 May 2026, while English local authorities also go to the polls that day. These contests offer an early test of whether Reform’s recruitment of former Conservative ministers can translate into sustained organisation, candidates and vote share across multiple tiers of government. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Scottish_Parliament_election?utm_source=openai))
Polling through 2025 showed periods in which Reform UK competed for or held the lead in Westminster voting intention, underscoring the threat it poses to the Conservatives in particular. Whether that persists into 2026 will shape tactical decisions on the right as candidate selections and campaign resources are finalised for May. ([yougov.co.uk](https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/51638-voting-intention-lab-25-ref-27-con-21-16-17-feb-2025?utm_source=openai))
For readers tracking the peerage angle, any future nomination for Zahawi would first be a decision for the Conservative leadership or the government of the day to propose, and then subject to HOLAC’s propriety vetting before any prime ministerial recommendation to the Monarch. That process, rather than partisan commentary, will ultimately determine feasibility. ([lordsappointments.independent.gov.uk](https://lordsappointments.independent.gov.uk/vetting?utm_source=openai))