Nadhim Zahawi, former Tory chancellor, joins Reform UK amid controversy over past scandals and vaccine skepticism.

Former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has joined Reform UK, marking a major political shift after a turbulent career that included serving as chancellor for 63 days, being sacked over a ministerial code breach, and admitting a tax error involving offshore shares. At his first press conference with Reform UK, he dismissed a journalist’s question about the party’s past promotion of a vaccine sceptic as “stupid,” highlighting tensions over the party’s evolving stance on public health. Zahawi, an Iraqi-born refugee and co-founder of YouGov, is now a high-profile recruit for leader Nigel Farage, seen as a boost to Reform UK’s credibility and reach.