Yes, Nadhim Zahawi did play himself in Mr Bates vs the Post Office

Bewildered reactions flooded in on social media after former cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi made a surprise appearance in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

The Tory MP, who is still serving, volunteered to play himself in the programme, asking for his fees to be donated to charity.

In a short clip, Zahawi is seen questioning then-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells in a 2015 Commons inquiry into the Horizon computer system.

The MP appears in the third episode of ITV’s four-part drama.

Zahawi’s cameo sparked a number of comments on social media, with some describing his appearance as “odd”.

But according to tax expert Dan Neidle, “Zahawi did a really good job on the select committee, and is one of the MPs who I think made a difference.”

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.