Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has gained more defectors (Image: Getty)

It comes after ex-Conservative chancellor Mr Zahawi announced his defection to Reform at a press conference alongside Mr Farage on Monday.

The former Tory big beast said Britain was “drinking at the last chance saloon” and “really does need Nigel Farage as prime minister”.

Nadhim Zahawi defected to Reform UK this week (Image: Getty)

He later confirmed he paid a nearly £5 million penalty to HMRC in order to settle the matter.

The former Cabinet minister is one of the most-significant Conservative defection to Reform UK so far.

He follows others including sitting MP for East Wiltshire Danny Kruger and ex-MPs such as Dame Andrea Jenkyns, now the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, and former culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

Huge blow for Tories as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK reveals more defections

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has continued to attract politicians from the Conservative camp, creating another difficult moment for Kemi Badenoch’s party as both organisations compete for support on the British right.

The movement of politicians between the two parties has become one of the defining features of Britain’s changing political landscape since the 2024 general election. Reform’s expansion has involved not only former Conservative MPs but also sitting parliamentarians, former ministers and politicians at local and devolved levels.

For the Conservatives, each departure raises questions about the party’s ability to retain experienced figures and maintain its position as one of Britain’s principal political forces.

For Reform, meanwhile, the influx provides experienced personnel but also creates a different challenge: how to build a political organisation that remains distinct from the Conservative Party while incorporating people who previously served in it.

A steady stream of defections

The movement is not new.

Reform began attracting prominent Conservative figures in 2024 and the pace increased during 2025 and early 2026. By January 2026, Reuters reported that a succession of former Conservatives had moved to Reform, including Robert Jenrick, Nadhim Zahawi, Danny Kruger, Nadine Dorries and Jake Berry.

Robert Jenrick’s move was particularly significant because he had been a sitting Conservative MP and had previously stood for the Conservative leadership.

He joined Reform after Badenoch removed the Conservative whip, saying he had been planning to defect. Jenrick subsequently appeared alongside Farage and announced his decision to join Reform.

Nadhim Zahawi also joined Reform in January. The former chancellor brought considerable government experience, while Danny Kruger had already become one of Reform’s most prominent Westminster recruits.

The arrival of Suella Braverman added another high-profile former Conservative minister to the list.

By the end of January, ITV reported that Reform had attracted around 21 former Conservative MPs.

The figures have since changed as politicians have moved in different directions, but the underlying trend remains important.

Reform is no longer simply a party whose candidates are drawn from outside the traditional political establishment. It increasingly includes politicians who have worked inside that establishment.

Why are Conservatives leaving?

The politicians involved have offered different explanations for their decisions.

Some have argued that the Conservative Party no longer represents their views on immigration, taxation, national sovereignty or public services.

Others have pointed to electoral performance and public dissatisfaction with the established parties.

The decision by Robert Jenrick, for example, came after years in which he had moved towards more strongly Eurosceptic and restrictive positions on immigration. His subsequent decision to join Reform therefore represented a significant shift in party allegiance, but one that followed a period of ideological movement.

Nadhim Zahawi described the Conservatives as a “defunct brand” when he joined Reform, while other defectors have similarly argued that the party had lost its political direction.

Those statements represent the politicians’ own explanations rather than independently established reasons for the broader movement.

There is also a practical consideration.

Reform’s political profile has grown significantly, while the Conservatives have faced the task of rebuilding after their 2024 election defeat.

For politicians seeking a route back into national politics, the two parties offer very different political environments.

The Conservatives’ response

The Conservative leadership has consistently criticised defections to Reform.

The argument from Conservative figures has generally been that Reform is benefiting from people who were themselves part of previous Conservative governments.

That creates an obvious political line of attack: if Reform recruits former Conservative ministers, critics can ask how different the party really is from the governments those politicians previously served.

This was already being discussed when Zahawi joined Reform.

A Guardian analysis argued that Farage faced a strategic dilemma: former ministers could supply the government experience Reform lacked, but too many former Conservatives could make Reform look like a second version of the Conservative Party.

That tension remains central to the story.

Reform wants to portray itself as an alternative to the established political system.

At the same time, it needs politicians who understand government departments, parliamentary procedure, public administration and the practical consequences of policy decisions.

Those two objectives are not necessarily incompatible, but managing them requires a clear political identity.

Farage’s recruitment strategy

Farage has repeatedly made clear that Reform does not intend to accept every Conservative politician who wants to join.

In January, he warned that Reform was not a “rescue charity” for every Conservative MP who became unhappy with their party.

That message was significant because the recruitment process itself could eventually reshape Reform.

The party began as a political movement closely associated with Brexit and opposition to the established parties. Its newer recruits include people with ministerial experience under Conservative governments led by Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

That changes the character of the organisation.

The question is whether these politicians are joining because they genuinely share Reform’s programme or because they believe the political balance has shifted.

Their motivations vary, and it would be inappropriate to assume that every defection has the same explanation.

Reform’s expansion beyond Westminster

The recruitment drive has also extended beyond the House of Commons.

In Scotland, Graham Simpson became Reform’s first MSP after leaving the Conservatives in August 2025. ITV noted that he had been involved with the Scottish Conservatives since his teenage years.

Reform has also expanded its presence in local government and in Wales.

The Welsh experience demonstrates both the opportunities and risks associated with rapid expansion.

After Reform’s strong performance in the 2026 Senedd election, Dan Thomas became leader of the party in Wales. He later stepped down following his arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. Thomas denied wrongdoing and was released without charge.

Around the same period, Reform Senedd member Sarah Cooper-Lesadd defected to Plaid Cymru.

Farage subsequently appointed Helen Jenner as the new Welsh leader.

The events illustrate that winning representatives is only one part of building a durable political organisation. Managing candidates, internal disagreements and parliamentary groups becomes increasingly important as a party grows.

The financial and organisational questions

The defections are also taking place against a backdrop of wider scrutiny of Reform.

In September, the party faced allegations concerning political donations following an undercover investigation. Reform denied wrongdoing, while police examined allegations concerning possible breaches of electoral law.

The controversy resulted in the departure of senior Reform figures and created additional pressure on the party leadership.

Farage himself has also faced scrutiny over his finances, including questions surrounding a £5 million gift from businessman Christopher Harborne. Farage has disputed the criticism and compared his situation with investigations involving other political outsiders.

These issues are separate from the defections, but they form part of the environment in which Reform is attempting to present itself as a credible national political organisation.

The more successful Reform becomes, the more scrutiny it attracts.

A difficult calculation for the Tories

For the Conservatives, the continued movement of politicians to Reform presents a difficult strategic calculation.

On one hand, the departures can deprive the party of experienced politicians and reinforce the impression of instability.

On the other, losing some of its most strongly Eurosceptic and immigration-focused figures could give the Conservatives greater room to redefine themselves.

Badenoch has attempted to develop a distinct political agenda rather than simply responding to Reform.

The party has also promoted new policy ideas and reshaped its front bench, seeking to demonstrate that it can compete for voters without becoming a copy of Farage’s party.

The effectiveness of that strategy cannot be determined simply by counting defections.

A political party can lose prominent individuals while retaining or rebuilding its electoral support. Equally, a party can recruit famous politicians without automatically translating those recruits into votes.

That distinction is particularly important in the current environment.

What does it mean for Reform?

For Farage, the benefits of defections are obvious.

Experienced politicians can help fill gaps in policy expertise and parliamentary knowledge. They also generate media attention and demonstrate that Reform is capable of attracting people who previously belonged to one of Britain’s major governing parties.

But the costs are equally clear.

Every former Conservative who joins Reform gives opponents an opportunity to argue that the party is simply absorbing politicians responsible for decisions made during the Conservatives’ years in government.

That criticism was already highlighted in January, when analysts questioned whether Reform risked becoming “Tory party 2.0”.

Farage therefore faces a balancing act.

He needs experienced people, but he also needs Reform to maintain its identity.

He wants former Conservatives who can contribute to the party’s future without allowing the organisation to be defined by its past.

The bigger political picture

The significance of the defections goes beyond individual politicians.

Britain’s traditional party system is undergoing substantial change.

The Conservatives dominated British government for most of the period between 2010 and 2024. Labour returned to power in 2024, while Reform subsequently expanded its electoral presence and attracted politicians from the Conservatives.

This has created a more fragmented political environment.

The latest polling also shows that Reform’s position is not fixed. A More in Common poll published on 23 September placed Labour on 26 per cent, the Conservatives on 23 per cent and Reform on 22 per cent, leaving Reform narrowly behind the Conservatives in that particular survey.

That demonstrates why defections alone cannot tell the full story.

A party may gain prominent politicians while simultaneously experiencing changes in public support.

The Conservatives therefore face two separate challenges: retaining political talent and persuading voters that the party has a distinctive future.

Reform faces a different challenge: proving that its rapid growth can be converted into a stable organisation capable of operating at national and local levels.

The continuing defections are undeniably significant, but their long-term political consequences will depend on what happens after the headlines fade.

For the Conservatives, every departure creates another reminder of the competition on their right.

For Reform, every arrival creates another opportunity — and another test of its ability to integrate people from the political establishment without losing the outsider identity that helped drive its rise.

That tension is likely to remain one of the defining features of Britain’s changing political landscape.

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