EX-Tory Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi was last night accused of defecting to Reform after being snubbed for a peerage.
The Conservatives claimed he jumped ship only because they rebuffed several pleas for a seat in the Lords.
Mr Zahawi became the most senior Tory turncoat yesterday, backing Reform leader Nigel Farage to save Britain from what he called the “last chance saloon”.
He said: “Our wonderful country is sick.
“I think I have got a set of talents and experiences that I can lend to the team that Nigel is leading to get the country back on track.”
Mr Zahawi, the latest former Cabinet Minister to join Reform following Nadine Dorries, Jake Berry and David Jones, said it was best placed to stop “the waking nightmare of Keir Starmer’s two-tier Britain”.
Mr Zahawi briefly served as Chancellor in the dying days of Boris Johnson’s government, having previously been Education Secretary and vaccines minister.
He was later fired as Tory chairman by Rishi Sunak over an investigation into his tax affairs.
Mr Farage hailed Mr Zahawi as a successful businessman who would help Reform’s preparations for government.
But a Tory source said: “Nadhim asked for a peerage several times.
“Given he was sacked for his dodgy tax affairs, this was never going to happen.
“His defection tells you everything you need to know about Reform being a repository for disgraced politicians.”
A source close to Mr Zahawi said the peerage claim was “just untrue”, dismissing it as “sad” from the Tory high command.
Risky to take him
Analysis by Jack Elsom
NIGEL Farage blames the Tories for “breaking Britain” — so why does he keep welcoming so many with open arms?
Nadhim Zahawi is his biggest defection yet.
But the appeal of Reform as an alternative to a tired mainstream consensus is at risk if it just becomes a dumping ground for Tory turncoats.
I sense Farage is aware of this but has his eyes on a bigger prize — momentum.
With the Tories showing early signs of a mini-comeback, he is keen to keep the wind in his sails and his boot on their throats.
