He is a former child refugee who founded the UK’s best known polling company and served as chancellor – before failing to become leader of the Conservatives.
But Nadhim Zahawi is now Reform UK’s most prominent defector, and perhaps the biggest fish that Nigel Farage has managed to net yet.
The Iraqi-born businessman has had a tumultuous, if upward-bound, career in politics – becoming the chancellor for 63 days, before quitting, then joining Rishi Sunak’s government, only for him to be sacked as Tory chairman for breaching the ministerial code.
But now Mr Zahawi is back in frontline politics once again, declaring that he wants to “get behind Mr Farage and his team”.
So, how did the child refugee become Reform UK’s most prominent defector?
Early years
Mr Zahawi was born in Bagdad and spent his early years growing up as part of an influential Kurdish family, with his father a well-known businessman, and his grandfather the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq.
But after Saddam Hussein came to power in 1979, the dictator began to target the Kurds and Mr Zahawi’s family fled the country.
He arrived in the UK aged 11, unable to speak a word of English, and began his new life by going to Holland Park School in London, and later private school.
Before he could go to university, an investment by his father went belly up and the family lost almost everything.
Mr Zahawi used the family car to become a taxi driver to contribute to the family finances, but his mother instructed him to keep on studying, and pawned her jewellery to cover the costs.
He left to study chemical engineering at University College London.
Business endeavours
After graduating in 1988, he sought to go into business and set up a firm selling Teletubbies merchandise, which he later admitted was a “costly and painful mistake”.
But the company did attract the attention of Lord Jeffrey Archer, thereby opening the doors to the senior ranks of the Conservative Party.
Entrance into politics and business success
Mr Zahawi became an aide to Lord Archer and in return, the peer helped with his own campaign to become a Tory councillor, winning a seat in the London borough of Wandsworth in 1994.
Then, alongside another former aide of Lord Archer’s, Stephan Shakespeare, he founded polling company YouGov.
The business grew and grew, and within five years it was floated on the stock market, valued at £18m.
He would later tell Sky News he was “the beneficiary of the British dream“. According to the Evening Standard, Mr Zahawi cashed in £1.2m of shares in 2005, and went on to work as the firm’s CEO for a further five years.
He had failed to become an MP in 1997 but having made his fortune, he set his sights back on politics and was elected as the MP for Stratford-upon-Avon in 2010.
From the expenses’ scandal to vaccine minister
Mr Zahawi’s early time in parliament was best known for his part in the expenses’ scandal, having claimed cash to power his horses’ stables.
By 2018, however, he managed to join the government, taking on junior ministerial roles, first in education then in business.
But it was the pandemic that saw Mr Zahawi become a household name, after Boris Johnson made him the vaccine minister, leading to widespread praise on his efforts to tackle COVID.
This success saw him join the cabinet in September 2021, as education secretary. Mr Johnson’s own slow demise helped Mr Zahawi rise up the ranks, and he was appointed chancellor after Rishi Sunak’s dramatic exit.
But just two days later, Mr Zahawi called for the PM to step down, saying: “You must do the right thing and go now.”
His decision to turn on the PM – along with his cabinet colleagues – created a chance to run for the top job, and become leader of the Conservatives.
But he became bogged down answering questions about his own finances, amid reports his tax affairs over the sale of his YouGov shares had been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office, the National Crime Agency and HMRC.
‘I was clearly being smeared’
Mr Zahawi insisted to Sky News that he was “clearly being smeared” but the growing tax scandal dragged him down, and he was booted out of the leadership contest at the first round.
His late support for Liz Truss led to a demotion, but following her departure, new prime minister Rishi Sunak made Mr Zahawi the Conservative Party chairman.
However, questions about his tax affairs continued with Sky News being told at the time he paid a penalty to HMRC.
The prime minister ordered an investigation into Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs, which concluded there had been a “serious breach” of the ministerial code.
Mr Sunak then sacked the Tory chairman, and he stood down as MP at the 2024 general election.
Since he left parliament, Mr Zahawi has focused on business affairs, taking on roles at companies including The Very Group of retail brands, diagnostics firm Ador, and Dubai-based luxury property developer, Omniyat, among others.
Defection to Reform
While an MP, Mr Zahawi posted on Twitter (now X): “[I’ve] been a Conservative all my life and will die a Conservative.”
But that proved not to be true.
On Monday 12 January 2026, Mr Zahawi was unveiled as Reform’s latest – and biggest – surprise defection.
Explaining his decision, the 58-year-old said: “We can all see that our beautiful, ancient, kind, magical island story has reached a dark and dangerous chapter.”
He warned that “our wonderful country is sick” and that “Britain needs Reform”.
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The former refugee added: “I also know a thing or two about growing up in a country that is fundamentally broken, riven by sectarian strife, economic depression and cratering living standards.
“So I have decided not to stand by and watch that happen to the country that took me in and let me live my British dream.”
Mr Zahawi said he will offer Mr Farage “help” and “insights”, insisted the “best days can lie ahead” because he is “inspired by Reform”.
