UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak bowed to pressure on Sunday by firing the Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi for a “serious breach” of the Ministerial Code, following days of criticism over his personal tax arrangements.
Sunak last week ordered his ethics adviser to investigate Zahawi following claims he had paid a penalty as part of a reported £4.8 million ($5.96 million) settlement with tax officials. It was alleged that Zahawi did not declare the dispute with tax authorities.
Zahawi was appointed chancellor of the exchequer – finance minister – by former prime minister Boris Johnson in July last year. He remained in the Cabinet under Johnson’s successor Liz Truss and her successor, Sunak, who made him party chairman.
In a letter to Zahawi, Sunak said that, after the investigation completed its work, “it is clear that there has been a serious breach of the Ministerial Code. As a result, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in His Majesty’s Government.” The UK’s Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties.
Reports of Zahawi’s multi-million-pound settlement with tax officials shocked Britons, many of whom are battling to survive amid the cost-of-living crisis.
