Zia Yusuf was emphatic. Just before Christmas, the head of policy at Reform UK assured grassroots activists that “failed former Tory MPs” would not be prioritised at the next election.
His comments do not appear to have been a deterrent, however. More than 20 former Tory MPs have now joined Reform UK, and on Monday Nigel Farage landed his most high-profile defection yet in Nadhim Zahawi, a former chancellor.
On one level, the political logic for Reform is clear. Polling has suggested that the Tories are beginning to slowly find their feet again, recovering from at one point being fourth in the polls to moving back above Labour once more.
Although they are still very much in the doldrums — Reform UK has consistently led the pack for nearly a year — Tory MPs have been buoyed by Kemi Badenoch’s recent performances in the Commons. One former Tory cabinet minister, a longstanding critic of Badenoch, conceded that she had done “good job”, particularly in her recent performances at prime minister’s questions.
What better way, then, for Reform UK to puncture that new optimism than with a high-profile defection? Zahawi also brings with him a profile, having become a household name as vaccines minister during the pandemic.
Farage seeks to broaden his party’s appeal and fend off criticism that he is a “one-man band” and more former Tories with experience of high office will arguably help bolster his claim.
• Nadhim Zahawi ‘begged for peerage’ before defecting to Reform, claim Tories
Zahawi also brings baggage, however. He was summarily sacked by Rishi Sunak when he was prime minister after an investigation found that Zahawi had breached the ministerial code by failing to be honest about his tax affairs.
Sir Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministerial standards, found that Zahawi had repeatedly failed to disclose details about an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs. He also accused Zahawi of having made an untrue public statement.
There are also Zahawi’s past comments about Farage, including a social media post in 2015 in which he branded him “offensive and racist” and said “I would be frightened to live in [a] country run by you”.
Farage insists that some former Tories are still beyond the pale, but where he is drawing the line is unclear. The risk for Farage, given that he has spent so much political energy trying to bury the Tories and make Reform UK a distinctive political brand, is that the line between the parties becomes increasingly blurred.
