Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Jun 02, 2023

Probe into Zahawi tax affairs ‘expected to take around 10 days’

Probe into Zahawi tax affairs ‘expected to take around 10 days’

Minister says it ‘wouldn’t be untypical’ for a conclusion in the investigation by the PM’s ethics adviser to be reached within that timeframe
The investigation into Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs by the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser could reach a conclusion in around 10 days, a minister has said.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride MP, talking on ITV’s Peston programme about how quickly Laurie Magnus would report back on Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs, said it ‘wouldn’t be untypical’ for a conclusion to be reached within ten days.

Mr Stride said: "I can’t be drawn on an arrangement of which I don’t know all the details. But the good news is that we will in around, it sounds like ten days’ time or thereabouts, hear from the ethics adviser, who will report to the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister will then have the facts and be able to make exactly those judgements."

Mr Sunak has ordered an investigation by his independent adviser on ministers’ interests into whether Mr Zahawi broke ministerial rules over the estimated £4.8 million bill he settled with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) while he was chancellor.

Rishi Sunak earlier suggested at PMQs it would have been “politically expedient” to sack Mr Zahawi but insisted that “due process” means the investigation into his tax affairs should be allowed to reach its conclusion.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that he had not been given the full picture about the Tory chairman’s financial matters when he told MPs last week that Mr Zahawi had given a “full” account.

But he insisted on Wednesday that when he entered No 10 and gave Mr Zahawi the job of Minister Without Portfolio “no issues were raised with me”.

Downing Street was unable to say whether Mr Sunak fears further damaging surprises about Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs will emerge and refused to rule out the Prime Minister ever having paid a tax penalty.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Sunak was challenged over Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs for the second week running by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who claimed he is too “weak” to sack his embattled party chairman.

Mr Sunak said: “Of course, the politically expedient thing to do would be for me to have said that this matter must be resolved by Wednesday at noon.

“But I believe in proper due process.”

A week ago, Mr Sunak told MPs that Mr Zahawi had “already addressed the matter in full” – but Downing Street subsequently revealed the Prime Minister had not been aware that the Conservative Party chairman had paid a penalty to HMRC as part of the settlement.

Mr Sunak said: “Since I commented on this matter last week, more information, including a statement from the Minister Without Portfolio, has entered the public domain, which is why it’s right that we do establish the facts.”

Sir Keir made a veiled reference to Mr Sunak’s billionaire wife, Akshata Murty, who has held non-domiciled status, as he suggested the job in No 10 is “too big” for Mr Sunak.

The Labour leader said: “We all know why the Prime Minister was reluctant to ask his party chair questions about family finances and tax avoidance.

“But his failure to sack him when the whole country can see what’s going on shows how hopelessly weak he is – a Prime Minister overseeing chaos, overwhelmed at every turn.”

Sir Keir added: “I think anybody watching would think it’s fairly obvious that someone who seeks to avoid tax can’t also be in charge of tax. Yet for some reason the Prime Minister can’t bring himself to say that or even acknowledge the question.”

The row prompted further questions about Mr Sunak’s own financial affairs, with his press secretary refusing to say whether Mr Sunak has also paid a penalty to HMRC as he prepares to publish his tax returns in a transparency attempt.

“You wouldn’t expect me to get into the Prime Minister’s tax affairs, they are confidential,” she said in remarks reminiscent to a position she once gave to inquiries about private healthcare before Mr Sunak admitted having used it in the past.

She was unable to rule out any more damaging revelations about Mr Zahawi emerging, in a sign of the levels of trust.

“I don’t think any of us can predict what may come up,” she said.

Trade minister Andrew Bowie insisted Mr Sunak will sack his party chairman if he is found to have broken the ministerial code, telling the BBC: “If he is found to have fallen foul in this report, the Prime Minister will of course sack him.”

But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman did not give the same assurance, pointing to the ministerial code recently being updated to indicate “it’s no longer a binary decision”.

Mr Zahawi turned up for work at Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) on Wednesday but did not show himself at PMQs.

Conservative peer Lord Hayward joined senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes in calling on Mr Zahawi to stand aside while under investigation.

Lord Hayward told Sky News: “I think he should be considering whether he stands aside for the period of the inquiry.”

Commons Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood said the situation is “a distraction”.

The Tory MP said that now Mr Sunak has asked Sir Laurie to examine the case, “it makes absolute sense for the ethics adviser to report” before any further action is taken.

“These are tax matters – nobody knows the full picture of that, by the way, except Nadhim Zahawi and of course HMRC – so let’s allow that report to land and then we have to take things from there,” he told the BBC.

The row centres on a tax bill over the sale of shares in YouGov, the polling firm Mr Zahawi founded, worth an estimated £27 million which were held by Balshore Investments, a company registered offshore in Gibraltar linked to Mr Zahawi’s family.

Mr Zahawi said HMRC concluded there had been a “careless and not deliberate” error in the way the founders’ shares, which he had allocated to his father, had been treated.

Downing Street subsequently revealed it did not know last week that Mr Zahawi had paid a reported 30% penalty to HMRC.

Mr Zahawi has insisted he is “confident” he has “acted properly throughout”.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
Close
0:00
0:00
The driver has been described by authorities as a 21-year-old woman from Tallahassee
I have a dream, MLK inspiring speech
Joe Biden falls at the Air Force Graduation
Aretha Franklin, Marvis Staples - Oh Happy Day
America's Got Talent…
BVI Freedom Song
Nvidia Joins Tech Giants as First Chipmaker to Reach $1 Trillion Valuation
Billy Preston - You Can't Beat God Giving (Live)
Drone Attack on Moscow's Wealthiest Neighborhoods Suspected to be Launched by Ukraine
VIRGIN ISLANDS REGGAE CARIBBEAN RIDDIMZ
Elon Musk Meets Chinese Finance Minister in Beijing
Oh Happy Day Edwin Hawkins - Anthony Brown w FBCG Combined Choir
AI ‘extinction’ should be same priority as nuclear war – experts
'Stand by Me' performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir
Prominent Hacker Forum RaidForums Suffers Substantial Data Breach
National Anthem of the British Virgin Islands - Oh, Beautiful Virgin
Nvidia CEO Huang says firms, individuals without AI expertise will be left behind
Hello Dolly
WPP Revolutionizes Advertising with NVIDIA's AI Powerhouse
for KING & COUNTRY - Amen (Reborn) [feat. Lecrae & The WRLDFMS Tony Wi
Two US Employees Fired For Chasing Robbers Out Of Store As They Broke ''Company Policy''
Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up
If you donated to BLM, you got played
Yes He Can
Pfizer, the EU, and disappearing ink - Smoke, Mirrors, and the Billion-Dose Pfizer Vaccine Deal: EU's 'Open Secret
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
Actor Tom Hanks told Harvard University graduates to be superheroes in their defense of truth and American ideals, and to resist those who twist the truth for their own gain
Unforgettable
The Sussexes' Royal Rebound: Could Harry and Meghan Markle Return to the UK?
Touch The Hem Of His Garment
A provocative study suggests: Left-Wing Extremism and its Unsettling Connection to Psychopathy and Narcissism
The Lord's Prayer
France Arrests 10 on Suspicion of Failing to Respond in Time to Migrant Drowning
THE GOD MOVEMENT...BEAUTIFUL BVI
Neuralink Receives FDA Approval for First-in-Human Clinical Study
Siyahamba
Is Saudi Arabia the holiest place in the world? Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions from "The Mount Sinai Stand" Discovered in Saudi Arabia
Ray Charles And The Voices Of Jubilaton, Oh, Happy Day
Ukrainian Intelligence Official Admits to Assassination Attempts on Putin
Ramblin' Rose
WATCH THIS: democracy in Russia is so bad!
Protoje - Who Knows ft. Chronixx
Ed Davey: It is possible for a woman to have a penis
Pressure - Virgin Islands Nice
Bernard Arnault Loses $11.2 Billion in One Day as Investors Fear Slowdown in US Growth Will Reduce Demand for Luxury Products
Phil Wickham - House Of The Lord
Russian’s Wagner Group leader: “I am not a chef, I am a butcher. Russia is in danger of a revolution like in 1917.”
My God Is Real (Yes, God Is Real)
TikTok Sues Montana Over Law Banning the App
The Lion King Circle of Life by LEBO M. — LIVE at the HAVASI Symphonic
Ron DeSantis Jumps Into 2024 Presidential Race, Setting Up Showdown With Trump
Louis Armstrong - When The Saints Go Marching In
Steve Jobs introducing Apple's iPhone, exactly 16 years ago.
Kanye West Sunday Service - hallelujah, salvation, and glory
Banking Behemoth vs Ex-Boss: The PMorgan-Epstein Entanglement
Jonathan Nelson - I Believe (Island Medley
China overtakes Japan as world's top car exporter
From The Virgin Islands Sqad Up
Last Walmart in North Portland Closing Down
Common, John Legend - Glory
Banking Behemoth vs Ex-Boss: The PMorgan-Epstein Entanglement
Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell - If I Ain't Got You
Florida's DeSantis seeks to disqualify judge in Disney case
I have a dream, MLK inspiring speech
Talks between US House Republicans and President Biden's Democratic administration on raising the federal government's $31.4tn debt ceiling have paused
Aretha Franklin, Marvis Staples - Oh Happy Day
Biden Administration Eyeing High-Profile Visits to China: The Biden Administration is heating things up by looking into setting up a series of top-level visits to Beijing by top officials in the coming months
BVI Freedom Song
New evidence in special counsel probe may undercut Trump’s claim documents he took were automatically declassified
Billy Preston - You Can't Beat God Giving (Live)
A French court of appeals confirmed former President Nicolas Sarkozy's three-year jail term for corruption and influence peddling
VIRGIN ISLANDS REGGAE CARIBBEAN RIDDIMZ
Debt Ceiling Crises Have Unleashed Political Chaos
Oh Happy Day Edwin Hawkins - Anthony Brown w FBCG Combined Choir
Weibao Wang, a former software engineer at Apple, was charged with stealing trade secrets related to autonomous systems, including self-driving cars
'Stand by Me' performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir
Mobile phone giant Vodafone to cut 11,000 jobs globally over three years as new boss says its performance not good enough
National Anthem of the British Virgin Islands - Oh, Beautiful Virgin
Elon Musk compares George Soros to Magneto, the supervillain from the Marvel Comics series.
Hello Dolly
Warren Buffett Sells TSMC Shares Over Concerns About Taiwan's Stability
for KING & COUNTRY - Amen (Reborn) [feat. Lecrae & The WRLDFMS Tony Wi
New Study Finds That Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia Is a Major Cause of Death in COVID-19 Patients Who Require Ventilator Assistance
Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up
The Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines calls the British monarchy "an absurdity" he wants to remove in his lifetime
Yes He Can
Remarkable video from our Fox drone team
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
The official tapes of Trump's deposition in the E. Jean Carroll battery (rape) and defamation case have been released.
Unforgettable
Here is the full video that the media are purposely not sharing
Touch The Hem Of His Garment
King Charles III being crowned.
The Lord's Prayer
New York procedures cover up cold blooded first degree murder of black man by white man
THE GOD MOVEMENT...BEAUTIFUL BVI
Video: Ukraine MP Punches Russian Representative At Global Meet
Siyahamba
El Paso mayor has declared a state of emergency
Ray Charles And The Voices Of Jubilaton, Oh, Happy Day
×