Nadhim Zahawi talks to Matthew Stadlen

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Former secretary of state for education and Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi looks back on a life that saw him forced from Iraq as a 12-year-old and rise to occupy one of the great offices of the British state.

Zahawi recalls his upbringing in the Middle East and explains how his family adjusted to life in Britain after fleeing from the threat of Saddam Hussein. He also looks back at his successful venture to set up the YouGov public opinion and data company, his time as an aide to Jeffrey Archer and his time as Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment. Zahawi says the setbacks he faced and hurdles he cleared reinforced his belief in hard work and in an open and inclusive society.

Zahawi co-founded YouGov in 2000 and was its chief executive between 2005 and 2010. He became Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon in 2010. He served as secretary of state for education and as Chancellor of the Exchequer under the Boris Johnson administration and remained in the cabinet under Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. He was eventually dismissed by Sunak over breaches of the ministerial code related to his personal financial arrangements and declarations. He retired from Parliament in 2024. Here he talks to broadcaster and author Matthew Stadlen.