In a move that has sent shockwaves through the British political landscape, former Conservative Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has announced his defection to the Reform UK party. The decision has thrust the party’s stance on COVID-19 vaccines into the spotlight, with Zahawi’s past role as Vaccines Minister clashing with the views held by some high-profile Reform UK members.
Zahawi’s unveiling as Reform UK’s newest recruit was met with a barrage of questions, with one persistent line of inquiry drawing a visibly angry response from the defector. When asked whether he would seek to change the party’s medical policies, which have been influenced by a vaccine-sceptic doctor, Zahawi dismissed the question as “really stupid” and undeserving of an answer.
However, away from the plush Westminster venue chosen for Zahawi’s introduction, his recruitment has caused disquiet among Reform UK members for whom hostility to the COVID-19 vaccine programme has become an article of faith. Party Facebook groups have seen a small but significant number of members announcing their intention to resign their membership, with some even casting Zahawi’s defection as another example of a “Muslim takeover” of Nigel Farage’s party.
The issue of vaccines has long been a point of contention within Reform UK, with Farage himself shifting from qualified support during the pandemic to a more sceptical and even hostile stance towards the World Health Organization. Senior figures, such as Richard Tice, have also raised doubts about the safety and necessity of the vaccines, with a third of the party’s council leaders across the country expressing vaccine-sceptic views.
The controversy reached a nadir when a controversial doctor, Aseem Malhotra, was given a prominent platform at the Reform UK conference to claim that the COVID-19 vaccines were responsible for cancer in members of the royal family. This has further fueled concerns among some party members and the wider public about the party’s approach to public health measures.
However, not all defectors to Reform UK share the party’s vaccine scepticism. Dr Chandra Kanneganti, a former chair of the British International Doctors Association, has joined the party and stated that he will be seeking to share his expertise and guide the party’s health policies towards an evidence-based approach, while respecting individual freedom of choice.
As Zahawi navigates his new role within Reform UK, the party’s stance on vaccines and its ability to reconcile divergent views on this crucial issue will be closely watched by both supporters and critics alike. The outcome of this debate could have far-reaching implications for the party’s future and its standing in the British political landscape.
