Politics news – latest: Rishi Sunak says he believes in ‘due process’ when asked if he backs Nadhim Zahawi; why cabinet away days usually end badly
Rishi Sunak and his cabinet decamp to Chequers in the Buckinghamshire countryside for a series of meetings – but questions about the tax affairs of Nadhim Zahawi refuse to go away.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak departs 10 Downing Street, London, to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament. Picture date: Wednesday January 25, 2023.
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Rishi Sunak continues to face questions about Nadhim Zahawi’s future
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Key points
Rishi Sunak declines to say he has full confidence in Nadhim Zahawi View post
Jon Craig: PM is hosting a cabinet away day at Chequers – like most family get-togethers, they usually end badly View post
PM wants Zahawi inquiry to be finished ‘as quickly as possible’ View post
Downing Street denies Sunak told of tax investigation into Zahawi last year View post
No penalties for ‘innocent’ tax errors, HMRC chief tells MPs View post
Beth Rigby: PM ‘absolutely not’ livid with Zahawi View post
The row over Zahawi’s tax affairs explained View post
Sir Rod Stewart calls Sky News NHS phone-in and says government should ‘stand down now and give Labour a go’ View post
Live reporting by Tim Baker
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2h ago
11:56
Sunak fails to give full confidence to Zahawi over tax affairs
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has refused to give Nadhim Zahawi his full backing after being questioned by reporters.
The Tory party chairman is facing an investigation over his tax affairs, and Sky News understands he paid a penalty to HMRC as part of a settlement over his taxes.
The exact size of the settlement has not been disclosed, but it is reported to be an estimated £4.8m, including a 30% penalty.
Earlier, HMRC boss Jim Harra told MPs there were “no penalties for innocent errors”.
Asked at Chequers – where he has been holding an away day with his cabinet – whether he had full confidence in Mr Zahawi, the PM said: “What I believe in is due process and that’s why I appointed an independent adviser to look into the questions that have been raised, investigate the situation fully establish the facts and provide advice to me on Nadhim Zahawi’s compliance with the ministerial code.
“I think that is the right thing to do to ensure we have integrity in politics, but to do that in a professional way and that is exactly what we are doing.”
Mr Sunak, who had previously backed his cabinet colleague before more details surfaced about the penalty, said “no issues were raised” to him before he appointed Mr Zahawi to his role.
But he also said he would not “pre-judge the outcome of the investigation”, adding: “It’s important that the independent adviser is able to do his work.
“That’s what he’s currently doing, that’s what I’ve asked him to do and I’ll await the findings of that investigation.”
Read more here:
Rishi Sunak fails to place full confidence in Nadhim Zahawi over tax investigation
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2h ago
11:49
Sir Rod Stewart says government should ‘stand down now and give Labour a go’
Sir Rod Stewart was a surprise guest on the Sky News NHS phone-in this afternoon.
The singer shared his experience of the health service with viewers and gave a blunt assessment of the current government’s handling of the NHS.
“I personally have been a Tory for a very long time, but I think this government should stand down now and give the Labour Party a go at it,” he said.
“This is heartbreaking.
“In all my years in this country I’ve never seen it so bad… change the bloody government.”
Sir Rod said he went for a yearly scan yesterday and found the private clinic he was being seen at “only has a couple of customers”.
The singer says this is “ridiculous” when there are many on NHS waiting lists in need of lifesaving scans.
“I would like to pay for 10-20 scans. I don’t know how I’m going to work this out but hopefully some other people will follow,” he says.
“It seems ridiculous that this particular scanning clinic was empty and there are people dying because they cannot get scans.
“Now listen to me, I don’t need the publicity, you know, I just want to do some good things. And this, I think, is a good thing, If other people follow me, I’d love it.”
Sir Rod, who has been through two bouts of prostate cancer, says he went private as he “had a few shillings” but the treatment he received was “tremendous”.
“This NHS has to be rebuilt. It’s around since 1947, it’s got to be rebuilt with billions of billions of dollars. It’s the only way we’re going to get around it.”
You can read more on the story here:
Sir Rod Stewart calls in to Sky News to donate for medical scans after hearing NHS crisis stories and says ‘change the bloody government’ | UK News | Sky News
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3h ago
11:08
Like most family get-togethers, cabinet away days usually end badly
Cabinet away days seem like a good idea at the time, but almost invariably end badly.
From Blair to Sunak, Brown to Johnson, they’ve been held at least annually by just about every prime minister in modern times.
The aim: a brainstorming session without distractions or prying photographers, reporters or TV crews. Well, that’s the idea.
The reality, however, is that like most family get-togethers there are personality clashes, squabbles about what to eat and what to wear, disputes about who takes centre stage – and even backstabbing and walkouts.
“Pretty ghastly – and not very useful” was the withering verdict of Tony Blair’s chief of staff, former Washington diplomat Jonathan Powell, in a memo included in newly released official papers.
Boris Johnson held the most recent cabinet away day before this one
Boris Johnson held the most recent cabinet away day before this one
And former Blair aide David Miliband, later foreign secretary and now an international aid charity chief, complained that no company would run away days in such a haphazard fashion.
This time, around the table at the latest cabinet away day were two senior figures facing official investigations: a Tory chairman engulfed in a tax scandal and a deputy prime minister reportedly facing no fewer than 24 bullying allegations.
What could possibly go wrong? Lots of embarrassed shuffling of feet and staring at the shoes by all present, at the very least, no doubt.
Chequers, the 16th-century mansion in rolling countryside at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, is a favourite with most prime ministers for their away days. It’s their official country retreat, after all.
But sometimes grumpy cabinet ministers have been forced to take a train journey to a key political battleground such as the West Midlands or, more recently, a so-called “Red Wall” constituency.
The most disastrous cabinet away day was in June 2018, when Theresa May thought she’d persuaded her cabinet to back a Brexit deal, but within days David Davis and Boris Johnson had dramatically quit.
Theresa May addresses her cabinet at her 2018 Chequers away day
Theresa May addresses her cabinet at her 2018 Chequers away day
But as well as high drama there has been low farce: cabinet ministers told by Mr Johnson to bring maps showing their plans for their department and a one-page slide illustrating their aims.
Away days like this have been compared to the Tory “Thought Camp” in the TV satire The Thick of It, held in a country hotel and attended by hapless cabinet minister Peter Mannion.
Surprisingly, considering Mr Blair was renowned for so-called “sofa government”, with key decisions taken by a small, informal group of allies and cronies, he started the trend, in 1998.
It was Mr Powell who laid down the rules, declaring in one memo released to the archives on the sartorial issue of “woolly jumpers or suits”: “TV will film people arriving and going, so there can be no woolly jumpers.”
Peter Mandelson, who famously denies mistaking mushy peas for guacamole in a Hartlepool fish and chip shop, demanded “something nicer than sandwiches” and got his wish when a buffet was laid on.
Mr Powell’s memos also reveal the tension and rivalry between Mr Blair and Gordon Brown, even in 1998.
He wrote to Mr Blair suggesting Mr Brown should lead off with a discussion on the economy.
“You said you did not like this, but I don’t see how you can avoid it,” he wrote. But Mr Blair was having none of it.
“No,” he replied in a handwritten note. “We should start with a general political discussion which I should lead then in (the) afternoon economy.”
And in a 2000 memo, Mr Powell wrote “The tradition of a TB/GB (Tony Blair/Gordon Brown) introduction and then one disjointed comment from each cabinet member is pretty ghastly – and not very useful.”
In September 2008, Gordon Brown held what he claimed was the first Cabinet meeting outside either Downing Street or Chequers. It was in the West Midlands, a key election battleground.
Gordon Brown during his cabinet away day
Gordon Brown during his cabinet away day
By sheer coincidence, surely, David Cameron had taken his Tory shadow cabinet there not long before. And it was later revealed that Mr Brown’s away days had cost taxpayers £600,000.
But the away day that that will live long in political history was Theresa May’s at Chequers in June 2018 when she thought she had a Brexit deal that would keep the UK closely tied to the EU’s customs union and single market.
According to folklore, ministers were warned that anyone who resigned would have to walk a mile down the drive and get a lift home with the local taxi firm, whose cards had been left in the foyer.
Some good that did. Truly, the curse of the cabinet away day had been established.
Recalling that historic day of back-stabbing a year later, Sir Robbie Gibb, Mrs May’s director of communications, revealed in a Daily Mail article how the drama unfolded.
“In the sweltering heat, the cabinet had gathered at the prime minister’s country retreat where, over eight long and sometimes fractious hours, ministers were talked through Theresa May’s proposals for how a new relationship with the European Union could work,” he wrote.
David Davis and Boris Johnson resigned within 48 hours of Theresa May’s cabinet away day
David Davis and Boris Johnson resigned within 48 hours of Theresa May’s cabinet away day
It was by no means an easy sell and the atmosphere was tense.
“With discussions over, cabinet unity was toasted with a glass of Churchill’s favourite champagne, Pol Roger, and by dinner there was a real sense of coming together.
“Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson made a brilliant and jocular toast to the prime minister – who interrupted to say ‘If only people could see how united we are now’.”
However, within 48 hours the Brexit Secretary David Davis had resigned, followed by Mr Johnson, who launched not only a “Chuck Chequers” campaign but also a campaign to chuck Mrs May out of Downing Street and seize her job for himself.
It was Mr Johnson who held the most recent cabinet away day, at a pottery in the heart of the Red Wall in Stoke-on-Trent in May last year, just weeks before his cabinet shattered like broken crockery following the resignations of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid.
Liz Truss, of course, wasn’t prime minister long enough to hold a cabinet away day.
With Mr Sunak under pressure over Nadhim Zahawi, Dominic Raab and countless other woes, will he hold any more?
Or will the curse of the cabinet away day doom him too?
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3h ago
10:30
UK to begin training Ukrainian soldiers next week in how to use tanks being sent
The UK will begin training Ukrainian soldiers next week in how to use and fix the tanks being sent to the country, the government has announced.
Defence minister Alex Chalk told the Commons: “On the issue of training, I am pleased to say that is expected to start next week on Monday.”
On when Challenger 2 tanks would arrive in Ukraine, he added: “The intention is that it will be at the end of March, and between now and then a really significant programme of training, not just for the tank crews who are to operate this vehicle, but also for those who will be charged with maintaining it.”
Mr Chalk earlier told MPs: “Equipping Ukraine to push Russia out of its territory is as important as equipping them to defend what they already have.
“Together we will continue supporting Ukraine to move from resisting Russian forces to expelling them from Ukrainian soil.”
The minister also welcomed announcements by the German and US governments that they would send tanks to Ukraine, adding: “Our united resolve can and will prove decisive.
“In 2023 we are more determined than ever. We will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
You can read the latest on the war in Ukraine in our dedicated live blog:
Ukraine war – latest: ‘Chilling’ signs Putin has become ‘reckless and emotional’; Russia launches wave of missile attacks after tanks announcement | World News | Sky News
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4h ago
10:02
Majority of healthcare workers will leave UK rather than pay for indefinite leave to remain, survey finds
A majority of foreign healthcare workers would rather leave the UK than pay thousands of pounds for an application for indefinite leave to remain, a survey has suggested.
Some 6,991 people responded to a survey from the Petitions Committee.
A total of 71% said they did not intend to apply for indefinite leave to remain because of the cost.
Healthcare workers coming to the UK can apply for a health and care visa, which lasts for up to five years at a time.
A three-year visa costs £247 to apply for, while the longer one is £479.
However, if someone wants to stay in the UK for an unlimited period of time and not have to constantly reapply, they must spend £2,404 applying for indefinite leave to remain.
Healthcare workers want a cheaper route of around £243 for them to ask for the status, and the matter is set to be debated in the Commons next week.
One nurse said: “I am forced to buy used and second-hand items only. I buy the cheapest groceries. Try and only use heating when absolutely required. Haven’t gone on vacations for more than a year and not planning any for next two years. I haven’t taken my kids to any place where I have to pay parking or pay entrance as I cannot afford any.
“I must save to apply. I am forced to work weekends to save. I am hardly spending time with family. My mental health is affected. It feels like I’m a slave forced to labour. I don’t understand why I have to pay extra if I am already earning and paying all the taxes.”
They added: “I don’t think I’ll survive this one. I believe these fees will break me.”
Of the 6,991 people who responded:
98% agreed the cost of applying for indefinite leave to remain should be reduced for health workers
91% thought the cost should be £243
71% of those who said they did not intend to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK said this was due to the high costs involved
28% of those who said they had delayed making an application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK said this was due to the high costs involved
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4h ago
09:30
Home secretary will not establish migrants’ commissioner – going against Windrush report recommendation
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has announced she will not introduce a migrants’ commissioner, going against the recommendation of the review into the Windrush scandal.
Ms Braverman made the announcement in a written statement to the Commons.
The Windrush scandal came to a head in 2018 when British citizens, many of whom were from the Caribbean, were detained, deported or threatened with deportation despite having the right to live in the UK.
A report into the scandal has since made 30 recommendations – all of which ex-home secretary Priti Patel accepted.
Wendy Williams’ Windrush Lessons Learned review recommended appointing a migrants’ commissioner in order to “signpost systemic risks”.
In a progress review published last year, Ms Williams cautioned that not having a commissioner would mean the department “risks undermining its stated commitment to transparency and effective policymaking, as well as the efforts to rebuild its reputation”.
Ms Braverman said today that”external bodies are not the only source of scrutiny” and that she would instead look to “shift culture and subject ourselves to scrutiny”.
Ms Braverman also scrapped plans to increase the powers of the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, and hold reconciliation events with the Windrush community.
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5h ago
09:10
‘More than a decade’ of underfunding and understaffing in NHS – shadow health secretary
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting says there has been “more than a decade” of underfunding and understaffing in the NHS.
He was speaking to Sky News as part of a special day of coverage on the NHS crisis, the beginning of a major ongoing project on the future of the health service.
Tonight at 7pm, there will be an hour-long debate into the future of the NHS live from University Hospital Coventry, hosted by Anna Botting alongside a special panel.
If you are an NHS worker and would like to share your experiences with us anonymously, please email NHSstories@sky.uk.
You can follow updates from our day of live coverage here:
NHS latest: New cancer treatment approved – as ambulance service facing ‘catastrophic’ cuts | UK News | Sky News
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5h ago
09:00
Farmers paid to protect nature in dramatic overhaul of subsidies scheme
From planting wildflowers and new hedgerows to tackling crop pests without pesticides, farmers will now be paid for 280 different measures to protect Britain’s natural world, which provides food, water and habitats.
The long-awaited overhaul of farming subsidies has been hailed as a “genuine benefit of Brexit” and broadly welcomed by farmers and green groups.
Read more from climate reporter Victoria Seabrook here:
Farmers paid to protect nature in dramatic overhaul of subsidies scheme
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5h ago
08:45
Laughing gas to be banned under anti-social behaviour crackdown
The Home Office is preparing to ban the sale and possession of laughing gas to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
Ministers want to revise drug misuse laws to allow people found with nitrous oxide gas in public to be prosecuted.
The party drug, commonly known as laughing gas, is the second most commonly used drug among 16 to 24-year-olds in England after cannabis and there are concerns about health problems caused by its usage.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Anti-social behaviour causes misery in communities and we are determined to crack down on this scourge to protect our streets.
“We have been clear we want to see common sense policing to keep our communities safe.
“That is why we are actively considering a ban on the sale and use of this harmful drug and will ask the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to hasten their delivery of the report we commissioned, which we will carefully consider in reaching any decision.”
Read more below from political reporter Faye Brown below:
Laughing gas to be banned under anti-social behaviour crackdown
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5h ago
08:35
Johnson’s legal fees could cost taxpayer more than £222,000, says top civil servant
The government could spend more than £222,000 of public money on legal advice for Boris Johnson as he faces an investigation into whether he deliberately misled parliament over what he knew about partygate, a senior civil servant has confirmed.
The Privileges Committee is looking into the former prime minister after his repeated denials to the Commons about lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, which later were proved to have taken place over the pandemic.
Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak were among those fined by the police for taking part, with a total of 126 fixed penalty notices issued, covering at least eight events.
The cross-party committee of MPs confirmed its investigation in April last year and has been gathering evidence since, with hearings expected to take place in the coming months.
Read more from political reporter Jennifer Scott below:
Boris Johnson’s legal fees could cost taxpayer more than £222,000, says top civil servant | Politics News | Sky News
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6h ago
08:26
Downing Street has asked for Zahawi inquiry to be finished ‘as quickly as possible’
Downing Street has asked the government’s independent ethics adviser to conclude his probe into Nadhim Zahawi “as quickly as possible”.
Speaking to journalists this morning, the prime minister’s official spokesman said that no time frame had been put on Sir Laurie Magnus’s probe.
It comes after Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride suggested the inquiry could be completed within 10 days.
Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson added that the PM still has full confidence in his embattled party chairman.
They said that when trade minister Andrew Bowie said Mr Zahawi would be sacked if found to have breached the ministerial code, he was giving his personal opinion.
Asked if HMRC would be assisting, as Mr Zahawi would need to green light this, the spokesman said Mr Sunak expects participation with the investigation.
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7h ago
07:23
Former Tory MP threatens to sue Matt Hancock
Former Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has sent a letter before action to Matt Hancock.
It comes after the former health secretary – who has also had the Tory Party whip removed – criticised Mr Bridgen’s comments about COVID vaccines which saw him kicked out of the parliamentary party.
“As one consultant cardiologist said to me, this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust,” Mr Bridgen tweeted.
Mr Hancock aired his criticism in the Commons and also in a message on Twitter.
Mr Bridgen tweeted today: “I can confirm that Matt Hancock had a legal letter before action from Bad Law Team on my behalf regarding defamation on Monday.”
The Telegraph has reported that Mr Bridgen is seeking £100,000 from Mr Hancock.
A spokesman for Mr Hancock said: “What Matt said was obviously not libellous and he stands by his comments.
“Rather than wasting his time and money on an absurd libel case he will undoubtedly lose, let’s hope Bridgen does the right thing and apologises for the hurt he’s caused and keeps his offensive view to himself in future.”
Matt Hancock, left, and Andrew Bridgen
Matt Hancock, left, and Andrew Bridgen
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7h ago
06:29
No penalties for ‘innocent’ tax errors, HMRC chief tells MPs
There are “no penalties for innocent errors” with tax, according to the chief executive of HMRC.
Sky News understands that Nadhim Zahawi paid a penalty as part of a settlement with the revenue and customs agency.
IMr Zahawi has said HMRC concluded he had made a “careless and not deliberate error”.
HMRC chief Jim Harra was speaking to the Public Accounts Committee of MPs today.
He was careful to stress that he was not talking about any specific case.
Mr Harra said: “Carelessness is a concept in tax law.
“It can be relevant to how many back years that we can assess, can be relevant to whether someone is liable to a penalty and if so, what penalty they will be liable to for an error in their tax affairs.
“There are no penalties for innocent errors in your tax affairs.
“So if you take reasonable care, but nevertheless make a mistake, whilst you will be liable for the tax and for interest if it’s paid late, you would not be liable for a penalty.
“But if your error was as a result of carelessness, then legislation says that a penalty could apply in those circumstances.”
Mr Harra said his officials would help “in any way we possibly can” with the ethics inquiry into Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs.
He added that, if a member of the public – like a minister – made a “categorically false” statement in public about their tax affairs, HMRC “would not” correct the record due to their duty of confidentiality.
File picture of Jim Harra
File picture of Jim Harra
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8h ago
06:07
Former chancellor questions Johnson’s judgement in appointing Zahawi as chancellor
A former chancellor has questioned Boris Johnson’s judgement for making Nadhim Zahawi chancellor if he was aware of the minister’s tax issues.
Lord Hammond, who was in charge of the country’s finances under Theresa May from 2016 to 2019, was speaking to Sky News this morning.
Asked about Mr Zahawi, He said: “My own personal view is that I would not want to accept the office of chancellor if I was at that time involved in a live negotiation of an outstanding tax case with HMRC.
“But ultimately this is a question for the prime minister who appointed Nadhim Zahawi as chancellor – Mr Johnson.
“If he was aware of these issues, then I think the question falls at his door.
“Why did he appoint somebody to this role who clearly not in a position to carry out that function given the ongoing negotiation?
“Nadhim Zahawi tells us that he made his position with HMRC clear to the Cabinet Office before he was appointed by Boris Johnson.
“So no doubt the inquiry that’s currently going on will get to the bottom of that.”
Asked if Cabinet Secretary Simon Case should take some blame, Lord Hammond added: “Well, ultimately it’s the prime minister who makes the decision who to appoint, who not to appoint to his cabinet, and what offices they should hold.
“It would have been a very different question if Nadhim Zahawi was being appointed to a different office of state.
“But the chancellor does have responsibility for HMRC, and I think that makes it very difficult for any individual being in a position of effectively negotiating with yourself a tax settlement.”
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8h ago
06:00
What could be on the table at Chequers
As we’ve reported this morning, the cabinet is heading to Chequers in the Chilterns for a series of meetings.
More than one summit is taking place; a political cabinet with no officials present will discuss matters like elections and other non-governmental issues, while a full cabinet will also happen.
So what is likely to be on the agenda?
Local elections
May 2023 will see a swathe of England and all of Northern Ireland holding local elections.
It is the first big electoral test for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives since last year’s political turmoil – with the party’s poll ratings still far behind Labour.
So it is likely that the political cabinet today will mention this.
Many of the so-called “blue wall” regions in southern England are up for grabs, and MPs worried about the next general election will be reading the tea leaves to assess their likelihood of staying in Westminster.
Normally this kind of political meeting would be headed up by the party chair.
With Nadhim Zahawi still in this role, it is unclear how much input he will provide.
The budget
Before the elections, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will be delivering his spring budget.
It will be his second fiscal statement, after he tore up Liz Truss’s mini-budget last autumn.
Factions of the Conservative Party – and probably cabinet ministers behind closed doors – will be pushing for tax cuts.
But while inflation fell slightly in December, it still remains above 10% and the Treasury might be unwilling to start spending money at this stage.
Sunak’s five pledges
In his first speech of the year, Rishi Sunak made five pledges.
This includes halving inflation this year, growing the economy, getting national debt falling, shortening NHS waiting lists, and stopping the small boats crossing the Channel
With these now publicly stated, it will likely be central to Mr Sunak’s plans this year so he can show the public his ability to deliver ahead of any general election.
So an extended cabinet meeting would be the perfect time to hammer out more details on achieving those goals.
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8h ago
05:45
Gove name-checks Messi as he compares UK economy to team with ‘star striker and defence full of holes’
Michael Gove invoked Lionel Messi in a speech about levelling up in which he compared the UK economy to a football team with a “star striker and defence full of holes”.
Speaking at the Convention of the North on Wednesday, the cabinet minister likened the way the UK’s political economy had been run in the past, reliant on London and the South East, to a failing football team which had let the country down.
Read more from political reporter Faye Brown here:
Michael Gove name-checks Lionel Messi as he compares UK economy to team with ‘star striker and defence full of holes’ | Politics News | Sky News
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8h ago
05:31
PM ‘absolutely not’ livid with Zahawi, Beth Rigby told
Rishi Sunak is “absolutely not” livid with Nadhim Zahawi amid ongoing questions about his tax affairs, a Number 10 source has told political editor Beth Rigby.
“The prime minister wants to ensure due process is followed and the facts are established before any further action is taken,” the source said.
It comes following a report in The Times which said the PM was “livid” with the Tory party chair over the row about his taxes.
Mr Zahawi is coming under pressure after it was confirmed that he reached a settlement with HMRC on a tax issue when he was chancellor last summer.
The PM has ordered the government’s ethics adviser to look into the matter and assess whether Mr Zahawi broke the ministerial code.
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9h ago
05:26
Man charged with assaulting Matt Hancock
A man has been charged with assaulting ex-health secretary Matt Hancock.
Geza Tarjanyi, 61, from Leyland, Lancashire, will appear in court next month charged with common assault, according to British Transport Police.
Mr Hancock is understood to be unhurt after the alleged incident at Westminster tube station on Tuesday.
You can read more here:
Man charged with assaulting Matt Hancock on London Underground
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9h ago
05:15
Nadhim Zahawi: What you need to know about the under-pressure Tory chair
He arrived in the UK aged 11, unable to speak a word of English – but after going on to hold some of the most powerful roles in the government, he is now under the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
This is what you need to know about Nadhim Zahawi as he faces pressure over his tax affairs:
Who is Nadhim Zahawi? The child-refugee turned multi-millionaire politician facing questions about his taxes
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9h ago
05:00
Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs: What did the Conservative Party chairman do?
Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi is under investigation over his multimillion-pound tax dispute.
On Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asked new ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus to assess whether the cabinet minister breached the ministerial code with the HMRC settlement he made while he was chancellor.
Mr Zahawi has said he is “clearly being smeared” over questions about his tax affairs – and that he did not “benefit” from an “offshore trust”.
Mr Sunak is under increasing pressure to remove Mr Zahawi from his senior cabinet post.
Political reporter Sophie Morris sets out what we know so far:
