Nadhim Zahawi

The Right Honourable Nadhim Zahawi
نەدیم زەهاوی
Official portrait, 2022
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office 25 October 2022 – 29 January 2023
Leader	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Jake Berry
Succeeded by	Greg Hands
Minister without Portfolio
In office 25 October 2022 – 29 January 2023
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Jake Berry
Succeeded by	Greg Hands
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022
Prime Minister	Liz Truss
Preceded by	Kit Malthouse
Succeeded by	Oliver Dowden
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 5 July 2022 – 6 September 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Rishi Sunak
Succeeded by	Kwasi Kwarteng
Secretary of State for Education
In office 15 September 2021 – 5 July 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Gavin Williamson
Succeeded by	Michelle Donelan
Junior ministerial offices 2018–2022 Minister for Intergovernmental Relations In office 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss Preceded by Michael Gove Succeeded by Michael Gove Minister for Equalities In office 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss Preceded by Liz Truss[a] Succeeded by Kemi Badenoch[a] Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment In office 28 November 2020 – 15 September 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Maggie Throup Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Industry In office 26 July 2019 – 15 September 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson Preceded by Andrew Stephenson Succeeded by Lee Rowley Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families In office 9 January 2018 – 25 July 2019 Prime Minister Theresa May Preceded by Robert Goodwill Succeeded by Kemi Badenoch
Member of Parliament for Stratford-on-Avon
In office 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	John Maples
Succeeded by	Manuela Perteghella
Personal details
Born	(1967-06-02) 2 June 1967 (age 57) Baghdad, Iraqi Republic
Nationality	British, Iraqi
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Lana Saib ​ (m. 2004)​ [1]
Children	3
Education	Holland Park School Ibstock Place School King's College School
Alma mater	University College London
Occupation	Politician businessman
Profession	Chemical engineer
Signature
Website	www.zahawi.com

Nadhim Zahawi (Arabic: ناظم الزهاوي, romanized: Nāẓim az-Zahāwī; Kurdish: نازم زەهاوی, romanized: Nazim Zehawî; born 2 June 1967) is an Iraqi-born British former politician who served in various ministerial positions under prime ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak from 2018 to 2023.^[2] He most recently served as Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio from 25 October 2022 until he was dismissed by Sunak on 29 January 2023.^[3] A member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Stratford-on-Avon from 2010 to 2024. Zahawi is perhaps most noted for being sacked as Conservative Party chairman for failing to adhere to the Ministerial Code, i.e. "to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety".^[4]

Born in Baghdad to a Kurdish family, Zahawi was co-founder of international Internet-based market research firm YouGov of which he was chief executive until February 2010. A chemical engineer in his earlier career, he was chief strategy officer for Gulf Keystone Petroleum until January 2018. After the retirement of previous Conservative MP John Maples, he was elected for Stratford-on-Avon at the 2010 general election.

Zahawi joined Theresa May's government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families in the 2018 reshuffle. Following Boris Johnson's appointment as prime minister, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Industry, and in 2020 he was given additional responsibility for the COVID-19 vaccination programme as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment. In the 2021 cabinet reshuffle he was promoted to Johnson's cabinet as Secretary of State for Education. On 5 July 2022, he became the Chancellor of the Exchequer after the resignation of Rishi Sunak. Less than 48 hours later, Zahawi withdrew his support for Johnson and publicly called on him to resign, which Johnson did shortly afterwards.^[5]

Zahawi was a candidate to succeed Johnson in the Conservative Party leadership election, but was eliminated from the ballot after the first round of voting, and subsequently supported Truss's bid to become Conservative leader. Truss appointed Zahawi as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and Minister for Equalities on 6 September 2022 following her appointment as prime minister. He was succeeded as chancellor by Kwasi Kwarteng. After Truss resigned in October 2022, Zahawi endorsed Johnson to return to the premiership.^[6] After Johnson withdrew from the race, he supported Sunak's bid to become Conservative leader. Sunak appointed Zahawi as Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio on 25 October 2022 following his appointment as prime minister. On 29 January 2023, he was dismissed from the roles after Sunak's ethics adviser, Laurie Magnus, advised that he had breached the Ministerial Code by failing to disclose that he was being investigated by HM Revenue and Customs while he served in his previous position as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Johnson.

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