Nadhim Zahawi, leader of the Conservative Party and Minister without portfolio, in London on January 24, 2023. JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sacked Minister without Portfolio and Conservative Party leader Nadhim Zahawi for breaching the Ministers Code over his tax disputes, Downing Street announced on Sunday (29 January).
After an independent investigation, it was “clear that there has been a serious breach of the Ministerial Code,” the Prime Minister wrote in a letter published by Downing Street. “Accordingly, I inform you of my decision to remove you from your position in Her Majesty’s Government. »
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Dispute with the tax authorities
Britain’s Prime Minister had on Monday commissioned his independent ethics adviser to investigate whether Mr Zahawi, who sits in Cabinet, breached the Cabinet Code in connection with the multi-million dollar settlement he had to pay to pay for a dispute with tax authorities. According to the BBC, he has been fined up to £5million (€5.7million) for not correctly reporting his income after selling his stake in polling firm YouGov, which he co-founded.
However, Mr Zahawi had negotiated that punishment in the summer of 2022 during his short-lived tenure at the Treasury in former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government. With Mr Sunak’s arrival at Downing Street at the end of October he became leader of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio in the Government.
Ethics Advisor Laurie Magnus concluded that Nadhim Zahawi should have explained the tax investigation he was the subject of and updated his declaration of interests once his dispute with the tax authorities was resolved.
After 13 years in power, the Conservatives have tarnished their reputation in recent years with conflicts of interest, fueling allegations of corruption from the Labor opposition, which is well ahead in the polls. Controversy erupted last year about Mr Sunak himself when the press revealed his wife, the wealthy Akshata Murty, was enjoying a favorable tax status amid an inflationary crisis.
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