Nigel Farage has hinted that more top Tories will defect to Reform UK after ex-Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi shocked his former colleagues by switching allegiance.

The Reform UK leader, who unveiled Mr Zahawi as his 22nd defector this morning, revealed he is having conversations with disgruntled Tories ahead of the 2026 Local Elections.

Mr Farage said: “There are plenty of people in the Conservative Party currently talking to me, and some might fit and some might not fit.

“But they can all see that May 7 is an absolutely pivotal moment after which there is a strong chance that the Conservative Party, after its couple of hundred years, will cease to be a national political party, hence some of the conversations that are going on,”” he added.

However, Mr Farage also admitted Reform UK has rejected some wannabe defectors.

The Reform UK leader told reporters: “That is a very good question.

“Have we said no to people? Yes, we have. I’m not going to tell you (who), for goodness sake … We want people who believe in what we’re doing.”

Reform UK’s defection deluge started all the way back in March 2024, with Lee Anderson switching from the Tories after having the Conservative whip suspended for claiming Islamists have taken control of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.

Ex-Tory MPs Lucy Allan, Mark Reckless, Andrea Jenkyns, Aidan Burley and David Jones followed suit later in 2024.

Marco Longhi, Ross Thomson, Anne Marie Morris, Sir Jake Berry, Adam Holloway, Nadine Dorries, Maria Caulfield, Sarah Atherton, Jonathan Gullis, Lia Nici and Chris Green joined last year.

However, Mr Zahawi’s defection is the most high-profile since current MP Danny Kruger switched to Reform UK in September 2025.

The former Stratford-upon-Avon MP dealt a major blow to Kemi Badenoch by joining more than 20 ex-Tory defectors to Reform UK.

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Mr Zahawi said: “I’m here today to tell you and, of course, the British people, that Britain needs Reform. Britain needs Nigel Farage as Prime Minister. I know this may come as a surprise to my old party and to many Westminster watches.

“But it really shouldn’t and it certainly won’t come as a shock to the tens of millions of hard-working, patriotic, decent people up and down our wonderful United Kingdom from the highlands of Scotland to the bottom of Cornwall, from rural Wales to the beating heart of London.

“We can all see that our beautiful, ancient, kind, magical island story has reached a dark and dangerous chapter.”

Mr Zahawi, who stood to become Tory leader in 2022, insisted he had not been promised any role in a future Reform UK Government or the chance to run as an MP.

He said: “No promises at all. I was a footsoldier in the Conservative Party, I’m now a footsoldier in Reform UK because I genuinely believe the country cannot afford a decade of Labour Government.

“And the only real hope for us removing this Government is to get behind Nigel Farage and his team.”

However, Mr Farage hailed Mr Zahawi’s defection as an example of Reform UK building a top team ahead of the next general election, dismissing suggestions he is leading a “one-man band”.

Mr Farage, who suggested Reform UK is looking to give Mr Zahawi a top job, also claimed Reform UK has turned down ex-Tories who were looking to defect.

Responding to Mr Zahawi’s defection, a Conservative Party spokesman said: “Reform is fast becoming the party of has-been politicians looking for their next gravy train.

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