Former Conservative cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform UK in a move that has dominated Westminster discussion and underlined the growing strain within the British centre right. Zahawi’s decision to leave the Conservatives and align himself with Nigel Farage’s party was confirmed at a press event in London on Monday, marking one of the most senior shifts yet from the party of government to Reform UK.

Zahawi is among the most recognisable figures to cross the floor. First elected as Conservative MP for Stratford on Avon in 2010, he rose steadily through ministerial ranks and became a household name during the Covid pandemic when he was appointed vaccines minister. He later served briefly as chancellor of the exchequer and as Conservative Party chairman, positions that placed him at the heart of decision making during some of the most turbulent years in recent British politics.

His defection comes after a period away from frontline parliamentary life. Zahawi did not stand at the last general election and has since operated largely outside Westminster, though he has remained active in political and business circles. His return to the political spotlight through Reform UK gives the party one of its most prominent converts to date and provides Farage with a figure who has experience at the highest levels of government.

Reform UK has spent the past year seeking to …