"But one persistent line of questioning seemed to draw a flash of real anger from the defector: did he reject the views of a doctor who was permitted by Reform to use the main stage at its annual conference to claim that the Covid vaccines, which Zahawi had himself rolled out as vaccines minister during the pandemic, were responsible for King Charles and the Princess of Wales' cancers?"
"That was a really stupid question and it doesn't even deserve an answer, Zahawi told a Daily Telegraph journalist, repeating the line when another reporter asked it again. Yet, away from the plush Westminster venue which Reform had chosen for Zahawi's unveiling, his recruitment has caused disquiet among Reform UK members for whom hostility to the Covid vaccine programme has become an article of faith. Party Facebook groups lit up with a small but significant number of members saying they would be resigning their membership."
"Its head of policy, Zia Yusuf, has long been a target of racist ire from some Reform members and critics of the party on the right. Another ex-Tory and another Muslim and another that pushed the vaccine, sorry to say but Reform are losing my support rapidly, posted one member on a private Reform Facebook group, in response to Zahawi's defection."
Nadhim Zahawi was unveiled as Reform UK's newest recruit, prompting intense questioning about his role as vaccines minister and connections to vaccine-sceptic figures. He angrily dismissed queries about whether he rejected a doctor who claimed Covid vaccines caused cancers in the royal family. His recruitment prompted disquiet among Reform UK members, with party Facebook groups seeing several members announce resignations over his appointment and the party's medical positions. A strand of Islamophobia resurfaced as some critics cast Zahawi's arrival as part of a perceived Muslim takeover, and the party's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, faced racist ire.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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