Andy O’Sullivan, however, was more cynical about Zahawi’s move.
“I think he goes for the spotlight,” he told the BBC.
“He goes for the easier roles that were already set up. So like when he stepped into the vaccine role, the job was almost already done and he kind of took the glory. He’s done it for himself.”
O’Sullivan said “if he truly believed in the policies”, Zahawi would have had an opportunity to invest it into the Conservatives while they were “down in the ditches”.
“It’s clear to me that he’s just gone somewhere with the headlines,” he said.
“I think at the moment they struggle to govern local councils. So it would be really interesting if they have enough votes to make it matter.”