Former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi to stand down as an MP at the next election

Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi is to stand down as an MP at the next election.

Mr Zahawi, who was sacked as Conservative Party chairman in January last year after failing to disclose a HMRC investigation into his tax affairs, said “my mistakes have been mine” in announcing his decision.

He has been the MP for Stratford-on-Avon since 2010, but says it is now time for “a new, energetic Conservative to fight for the honour” of representing the constituency. 

Mr Zahawi was briefly chancellor of the exchequer between July and September 2022 and has held a number of other senior cabinet positions.

These include education secretary, vaccines minister during the coronavirus pandemic, equalities minister, intergovernmental relations minister, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and minister without portfolio.

In a lengthy letter announcing his decision, he reflected on the fact he was born in Iraq in 1967 and was forced to flee to the UK to avoid the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.

He said serving as an MP has been the “greatest honour of my life”, and added: “Every morning as I shave my head in the mirror, I have to pinch myself.

“How is it that a boy from Baghdad who came to these shores, fleeing persecution and unable to speak a word of English, was able to do as much as I have?

“For all our challenges, this is the best country on earth, and it has helped me make my British dream come true.”

He also quoted William Shakespeare, branding him his “most famous constituent”, and said: “I have come to feel that the time is right for a new, energetic Conservative to fight for the honour of representing Stratford-on-Avon and assuming the mantle of MP for Shakespeare.

“I will, of course, serve my constituents with dedication and determination until then, and the Prime Minister, and the Conservative Party, will continue to have my unwavering support into and beyond the next general election.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has yet to set a date for this year’s general election, however SNP MP Gavin Newlands posted on X yesterday suggesting it could be soon.

He said: “General election alert - Rishi Sunak is working the tea room. Government collapse imminent.”