The 55-year-old’s elevation to the second most powerful role in British politics is the latest step in a rapid rise that his allies hope could see him become Britain’s first non-white prime minister. But some senior Conservatives believe his quick turn against Johnson will backfire. Zahawi was born in Baghdad in 1967 to a Kurdish family who fled to Britain when he was just 9 years old. The future education secretary spoke no English when he arrived, leading his teachers to initially fear he suffered from a learning disability. He studied at both state and private schools, before obtaining a degree in chemical engineering from University College London. After graduation, Zahawi went into business, albeit with sometimes mixed results. One of his less successful early ventures was a marketing company that distributed merchandise for the children’s television program Teletubbies. He was also an assistant to Lord Geoffrey Archer, the former Tory MP and novelist, including during the latter’s failed bid to become Mayor of London. Zahawi began his political career as a local councilor in the affluent London Borough of Wandsworth. Any national ambitions he harbored fell by the wayside while he concentrated on business. In 2000, he founded YouGov, one of the first polling companies to focus on online research. But other roles, including earning £1.3m as a consultant to Gulf Keystone Petroleum, have raised eyebrows. It was reported this week that Zahawi was being investigated by the National Crime Agency, but no wrongdoing was found. In 2010, Zahawi was selected for the safe Tory seat of Stratford-upon-Avon. Unlike many ambitious Tories elected when the party returned to power under David Cameron, his ministerial career did not take off. A Number 10 employee who worked with him says: “He was clearly very talented, but he didn’t catch David’s attention.” His support for Brexit in the 2016 referendum, however, ensured his rise within the party. A series of ministerial appointments followed. But it was Johnson’s patronage that thrust Zahawi into the limelight as vaccine minister at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. He was praised by MPs for his calm media appearances amid widespread fears of shortages. He also won the favor of Whitehall civil servants. A mandarin who worked with him during the pandemic says his intense focus on data was welcome. “As secretary of state, he kept asking, ‘What’s the proof? What are the facts?’ during the vaccine launch,” the official recalled. “A lot of other ministers just do things on instinct.” Since his rise to cabinet as education secretary last September, Zahawi has been tipped as a front-runner to succeed Johnson. Like rivals including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former chancellor Rishi Sunak, he has been wrangling MPs and preparing for the prime minister’s exit for months. It also has a fitness kick with the leadership race in mind. “He’s running, literally,” smiles one MP. At work dinners, he eats half portions. Zahawi’s campaign will begin early next week, focusing on three elements, according to officials involved: his “phenomenal” history; inland business; and his record in government. “Many of his opponents don’t have business experience before politics, others don’t have the same level of delivery or government experience,” says one MP who supports him. But it is his role in Johnson’s downfall that may determine whether he makes it to Number 10. When Sunak stepped down as chancellor on Tuesday, Zahawi was one of the few credible candidates for the job. Some of his supporters were disappointed when he accepted. “We’ve always known he’s a nice guy, but he has bad political judgment,” says a friend. But others felt he didn’t have much of a choice. “These positions must be filled. . . will have tried to keep the show on the road.” The day after his arrival at the Ministry of Finance, Zahawi was part of a delegation of ministers who told the prime minister to go. In an open letter, he wrote that he was “hurt” that his friend of 30 years had not heeded his advice. “Prime Minister, you know within yourself what is right and go now.” Johnson agreed hours later. “It was Nadhim’s tongue that finally got Boris over the line,” says an ally of his role in the recticide. Although his profile in Westminster has risen significantly in recent days, Zahawi’s reputation outside the political world is limited. Bookmakers Ladbrokes put his odds of being the next prime minister at 12/1, behind five other contenders including Sunak and Truss. His challenge is to convince MPs that he can build a national following. But among Tory activists, who will ultimately choose the next party leader and prime minister, Zahawi is very popular. He is the party’s second most popular figure with a net approval rating of +66, behind only Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, his potential leadership rival. Paul Goodman, the editor of ConservativeHome, says: “He has a successful track record in business and a successful track record in government in delivering the vaccine programme.” Goodman notes that the upcoming leadership race is a “lottery,” but adds that if he “gets in front of the membership he could do well.” Whether that happens depends first on the votes of fellow Tory MPs, who are already well aware of his history and government record. They will decide whether Zahawi is capable of helping the party rebuild after the turmoil of the Johnson era. [email protected]
