Nadhim Zahawi: Former chancellor and vaccines minister will stand down at common election

Former COVID vaccines minister and chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has introduced he won’t be standing on the subsequent common election.

The Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon since 2010 quoted his “most famous constituent” as he wrote: “Go to your bosom; knock there and ask your heart what it doth know.”

He mentioned: “The time is right for a new, energetic Conservative to fight for the honour of representing Stratford-on-Avon.”

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” he added.

Mr Zahawi is the sixty fourth Conservative MP to announce he won’t be standing on the subsequent common election, which is anticipated this 12 months.

He was accountable for the COVID vaccine roll-out and was chancellor for 2 months over the summer time of 2022. He was additionally training secretary for 10 months earlier than that.

The MP additionally stood to succeed Boris Johnson as Conservative chief however was eradicated from the poll after the primary spherical of voting after which supported Liz Truss, who made him Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, intergovernmental relations minister and equalities minister.

Mr Zahawi mentioned in his assertion: “My mistakes have been mine, and my successes have come from working with, and leading, amazing people.”

He additionally thanked his household and associates, and particularly his spouse Lana, for his or her love.

The MP was made Conservative Party chairman by Rishi Sunak however was dismissed for failing to reveal he was being investigated by HMRC and the National Crime Agency over a multi-million pound tax dispute associated to the sale of shares in his polling agency YouGov whereas he was chancellor.

He mentioned he had made a “careless and not deliberate” error after initially saying he had no information of the investigation and had “paid all taxes”.

The 56-year-old was born in Baghdad, Iraq however his household fled the nation to reside in London when he was 11-years-old.

He 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 got here to those shores, fleeing persecution and unable to talk a phrase of English, was capable of do as a lot as I’ve?

“For all our challenges, this is the best country on Earth, and it helped me make my British dream come true. It was where I built a Great British business, YouGov, and it was where I raised my wonderful family.”

The MP mentioned he felt “immensely privileged” to have served “my nation throughout authorities as he listed his roles, together with being accountable for coordinating the Queen’s funeral.

Mr Zahawi discovered himself unable to enter the United States to go to his youngsters at college after then US President Donald Trump banned travellers from some Muslim majority international locations as a result of he was born in Iraq.