Conservative defections risk making Reform UK into Tory party 2.0

Nigel Farage and Nadhim Zahawi have a history of antagonistic social media posts, raising the question of how long they will be able to work together without falling out. Photograph: Matthew Chattle/Shutterstock

In the death throes of Boris Johnson’s government in the summer of 2022, Nadhim Zahawi was appointed chancellor by an increasingly desperate prime minister determined to cling on to power.

The vacancy arose after Rishi Sunak, who had led the Treasury for more than two years, quit saying he no longer had confidence in Johnson to lead the country, setting off – with others – a string of high-profile desertions.