Nadhim Zahawi has said he “chose to fight” for Britain rather than leave the country, explaining his decision to defect to Reform UK earlier this year.
Speaking to GB News, the Former Conservative Chancellor said he considered moving abroad but ultimately decided to remain in Britain because it was “worth fighting for”.
He said: “The choice was fight or flight… I chose to fight because I think this country is worth fighting for.”
The former Cabinet minister, who joined Reform in January, said he had lost faith in the Conservatives after concluding they no longer had “the right answers” to Britain’s problems.
Praising Nigel Farage, Mr Zahawi said the Reform UK leader was focused on “getting things done” rather than pursuing power for its own sake.
On immigration, he branded both legal and illegal migration under the previous Conservative government “an absolute unmitigated disaster”, arguing it had overwhelmed public services.
Mr Zahawi also drew a distinction between Islam and political Islam, insisting the two should not be conflated.
“Political Islam has no place in our country… but to the many thousands of British Muslims who absolutely make the distinction between their faith and politics, that’s completely different.”
He insisted that anyone who comes to Britain should “integrate, assimilate and celebrate this great country”.
“If you don’t, you’ve got no place here,” he warned.