Nadhim Zahawi Defects to Reform
Nigel Farage has unveiled Nadhim Zahawi, the former Tory chancellor and party chairman, as the latest defector to Reform UK. Zahawi told a press conference in London:
I’m here today to tell you and of course the British people that Britain needs Reform. Britain needs Nigel Farage as prime minister. I know this may come as a surprise to my old party and to many Westminster watches.
But it really shouldn’t and it certainly won’t come as a shock to the tens of millions of hard-working, patriotic, decent people up and down our wonderful United Kingdom from the highlands of Scotland to the bottom of Cornwall, from rural Wales to the beating heart of London.
We can all see that our beautiful, ancient, kind, magical island story has reached a dark and dangerous chapter. Things may feel like they’re ticking along just fine within a few square miles of where we stand today. But in so much of the rest of the country, the sickness is no surprise to anyone. To anyone trying to get a doctor’s appointment, to anyone who wants to express an opinion on X or even just down the pub. To anyone who wants their children to be taught facts, not harmful fictions at school.
To anyone just trying to earn a living and not get crushed into the dirt by ever-growing taxes. Even if you don’t yet realise that Britain needs Reform, you know in your heart of hearts that our wonderful country is sick. How many of you at home have thought that nothing works today? I know I have and I have it a damn sight easier than most people.
Zahawi added that it’s time for a new “glorious revolution” as he admitted some culpability in the disasters of the previous Conservative administrations.
It is time for another glorious revolution to get us back to a fully-sovereign Parliament and where the government really is the government. For that, my friends, Britain needs Reform.
My old party and by definition to some extent me personally should share some blame for the continuation of the Blairite constitutional vandalism and our failure, to coin a phrase, to take back control from the entrenched powers of the unelected bureaucracy.
Now Conservatives did some important work, stabilising the economy in the early years after Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s destructive reign, reforming education and welfare, supporting Ukraine and of course dealing with the pandemic as well as we could.
But failures on mass migration, failure to strengthen our Armed Forces or even to protect special forces from insane government lawyers, and bad, virtue-signalling legislation has made us less competitive and less prosperous to name quite a few. These have provided me with painful lessons learnt that will I hope benefit this great new team.
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“My old party and by definition to some extent me personally should share some blame for the continuation of the Blairite constitutional vandalism and our failure, to coin a phrase, to take back control from the entrenched powers of the unelected bureaucracy.”
It’s a start, though not sure about “some”. How about “most”?
What does he have to say about his time as “Covid vaccines” Minister?
He still seems proud of his role as vaccines minister.
A few journos at the press conference tried to get him to disavow his association with reform because they had platformed a vax ‘conspiracy theorist’ at their conference.
Their response was to claim a belief in free speech so I think they’ll dodge the issue just like everyone else is. But it could also be a strategy to pick their battles or be demolished. Everyone is gunning for them.
Interesting- thanks for those snippets
I regard the “Covid vaccine” episode as one of the low points of human conduct at a societal level. Anyone who played a leading role in it is tainted almost beyond redemption in my book.
Sorry to find him (and Reform) condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The refusal of Zelensky to agree to the very reasonable Russian red line of no NATO membership for Ukraine has resulted in a devasgted, partition country with millions fled abroad, many never to return. There is no way the USA would have tolerated Russian armies entrenched along its Mexican or Canadian border. Anyone who hinks otherwise strikes me as being either a fool or blind. Zelensky was certainly a fool to listen to Biden’s messenger boy Boris Johnson at at the time of the Turkey talks, A settlement was all but signed and it would have resulted in a much better settlement than, thanks to people like Reform and Zahawi, the grim agreement that is still to come.
Well said. Russia is fighting NATO for its very existence. I used the exact same arguments you did with various Tards. My example was Russia fomenting 2 coups in Mexio, installing a puppet regime, sending billions in equipment and getting ready to install nukes along the border, fold Mexico into a Russian controlled alliance, all the while murdering 15K US citizens after the 2nd coup.
Slava Mexicaina. Tards do not understand such logic.
I have preferred to reference Scotland. When Kranky was at her Independence worst would Westminster have tolerated an imported army parked on the Scottish border?
Spot on.
You are deluded. Putin wants to restore the old Soviet Union with himself as boss. He is without scruple, interested only in power and money. NATO is a DEFENSIVE organisation. As for Zelensky, It is not reasonable to cede a quarter of your country to a foreign invader.
That is not good news. The YouGov spiv and vaccines minister. Nigel, you got that wrong
It made my heart sink. Reform seem taking the space another more authentic populist party could be. Maybe it’s just another psyop to keep us on the reservation until a total control network is in place. However, through lack of choice I will vote for them and if it is a betrayal then it will not last long before societal collapse.
A step too far for me. I just cancelled my membership.
Reform continues on its mission to become the ConTory party.
Muslim-Con-Tory-Part 2-Party.
Yet. Another. Corrupt. Muslim.
From the Rona Medical Nazism no less which Tice and Ali-Faragi both enthusiastically supported (until Ali-Faragi had an issue getting a pint).
Yes, but like Yusuf and Laila, (I quote the Kurdish man): “I am a Muslim but respectful of other faiths, particularly Christianity, and I am often highlighting shared values”.
When two yers ago I warned fellow members of this highly ambitious, duplicitous man (I sadly happened to know) I had by head bitten off.
Now I wonder how long before Al-Nij-bin-Farajat delivers his next patriotic polemic from The Baitul Futuh Mosque.
He was a key figure in the crime that was the Covid response, vaccine minister if I remember correctly, will he be apologizing for his part in that terrible era, will there be contrition?
His continuing stance on the “Ukraine” issue is very concerning, even if you think Russia is and was in the wrong, talk of us going to war with them is deeply worrying!
Surely the headline is “Millions of Reform voters once again politically homeless”
They should remember Rupert Lowe, who is quietly doing great things as an Independent.
I’m certainly one of them, and I just told them so. They’ve had the last £25 they’re getting from me.
Nigel has said he is being careful who he recruits. Strictly Reform cannot exclude people unless they have breached the specific rules, but we know this was not just any recruit. It was auditioned for in abvance.
I am prepared to trust Nigel and the Reform leaders on this issue. I would be more anxious if many of the ex-Tories were made spokesmen but generally they are not. Nadhim Zahawi ought to be able to give additional background on the issues Reform will likely face in government.
The story here as always ought to be the democratic disgrace arising from the Blairite reforms. It is now routinely understood that any non-left government will be faced with a resistant civil service, hostile judiciary and vocal media in opposition to all their policies.
We even have Starmer threatening to agree trip-wire penalties for any change in his EU policies. I am pleased to knmow that Nigel has already ruled out paying any such penalties. Reform should also rule out making any more payments under Tory May’s Brexit deal which Johnson endorsed.
As so often you make many good points, though I would still like to see some more convincing mea culpas on issues like the “covid vaccines”. I guess they are very keen to maximise their chances of getting elected and being effective in office and have to balance this against alienating people who are quite naturally suspicious of defecting Tories.
Zahawi congratulating himself for dealing with the pandemic as well as we could
is nothing short of disgraceful, considering how the Tories dealt with the pseudo-pandemic, including his personal role in that, and how other people dealt with that, eg Anders Tegnell who followed established wisdom instead wildly experimenting with the people to their own detriment or Kristi Noem who never fell for the scam or DeSantis and the governor of Texas who at least awoke to reality and acted accordingly while the Tories renewed the mask mandate in late fall 2021 and almost implemented another Christmas lockdown.
This guy ought to be regarded as political poison by any upright and honourable person, especially politicians claiming to be conservative.
Seconded without reservation. 👍
Hear, hear! Well said, RW, well said!
I wonder if he’s bringing money with him? Access to his polling company can’t hurt… personally I’d trust him as far as I can throw him
He doesn’t control YouGov, at least not officially. It’s a PLC. He has not been a director for over 20 years. He may be a major shareholder or hold personal sway over the people running it now, though he doesn’t own more than 3%.
YouGov polls are dreadful – I do them and they are poorly constructed and sloppy.
But I expect he has money, yes, and he may have good contacts in the polling sector.
Ah interesting – I thought he was far more involved, was founder etc – clearly it’s moved on
If he is then it’s hidden from anything we can see through “official” channels. He is director of a bunch of other companies, unsure what they do.
Hasn’t he got a reputation for being a flash in the pan? Who would want to recruit someone like that? It might not look good for Reform if the electorate think it through, and avoid voting for him.
Zahawi should be looking at a life time behind bars – at best – for his prominent part in the murderous C1984 regime. This tells us all we need to know about al-Farage.
Yusuf – dubious WEF associate.
Zahawi – tax avoiding, non British, Covid criminal.
Laila Cunningham – London Mayoral candidate and muzzie but apparently she’s of the nice sort 😉
Quite a hierarchy.
This isn’t Reform, it’s Retreat – to the 7th century.
Farage does seem to be focused on hiring from a certain demographic… not sure he’s been listening to the average Reform supporter?
I have just watched some of the press conference video. I note that the only former Tories the media want to criticise are those who see the error of their ways and admit fault when they join Reform.
All those wet, globalist, remainer, elitist failures who hunker down in the Tory party and pretend all current problems are caused by Labour (useless thogh that is) are left alone by the media.
No mention of Net Zero, I notice.
Seems to touch on it with the one statement about following ideology I thought… not specific though I agree
Perhaps Mr Covax Minister would like to comment on a 2 page article in the Mail from people claiming that catching Covid has destroyed their immine systems so they now get every bug going – and often seriously – as well as multiple Covid infections. Now I wonder what might have damaged their immune systems? Of course the herd of elephants in the room was not addressed in the room as presumably under some threat from the fascists at Ofcom, they are not allowed to consider the truth on the jabs.
Under rules that should be introduced he would not be allowed to hold public office due to his immigrant status.
Iraqi Muslim Zahawi, whose grandfather was Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, and Minister of Trade, joining Nigel’s Muslim Team controlling the Reform Party.
Don’t worry, he founded YouGov, so there will be plenty of polls supporting this new Global Caliphate Party called “Reform”.
It seems Nigel has long been promised that “The Muslim Vote” will put him into No. 10, then he is to step aside for the Caliphate, and they’ll give him a knighthood. Sort of like making deals with the Mafia, though I would trust the Mafia more than the Caliphate…
Whoose coming next ? Hancock – Savage Jabbit etc , do me a favour , game over 🤯
Put Sajid Javid next to him and they’d look a right pair..
Have you seen this shocker news just now?
Zahawi said he would be ‘frightened’ to live in country run by Farage
Everyone please read the link above which details the long list of negative statements posted by H Zahawi about Reform and Farage! it’s a clear cut case of jumping aboard the gravy train. Reform chasing the richest shallow people now is not a good look.
I wonder if the Iraqi Muslim Zahawi made a huge donation to Reform, like Mohammed Zia Yusuf did…
They’d better start dismantling Bliars laws when they get in, because if reform turn out to be just a more bolshe version of the uniparty, there will be serious trouble. People have had enough.
i don’t need to hear anything else from them other than that; and of course witnesses them sticking to it.
There are no circumstances under which I would now vote Reform. I want a party in power that will bring Zahawi and many other covid criminals to justice. These crimes cannot just be forgotten.
Never forget, never forgive
I am sorry, but ‘rats and sinking ship’ comes to mind.
And this from my perspective is not a great addition to Reform.
Why oh why………? Looks like those of us contemplating voting for Reform will have no reason to do so other than ‘none of the above’.
The Tories are saying that Nadhim Zahawi begged Kemi for a Peerage. She refused and he defected to Reform. A big mistake for Nigel Farage to make?
Imagine swapping Rupert Lowe for this chancer. Farage is a fool and a menace.
Spot on! You have really put it all into perspective.