Rishi Sunak began his premiership with a promise to bring “integrity and accountability” back to the heart of government.
But the prime minister and former chancellor has himself been at the centre of a string of investigations since breaking into the political mainstream.
One of the most damaging questions facing Mr Sunak has been about his family’s vast fortune. But he was also caught up in the Partygate scandal which contributed to the downfall of his predecessor Boris Johnson, resulting in Mr Sunak receiving a fixed penalty notice.
As parliament’s ethics watchdog launched a fresh inquiry into the PM over a possible failure to declare his wife’s shares in a childcare agency, The Independent looks at six times Mr Sunak has been under scrutiny while serving in government.
Wife’s non-dom status
Mr Sunak’s family’s tax affairs came under scrutiny last year when The Independent revealed his wife Akshata Murty claimed non-domicile status in order to save on her tax bill.
Ms Murthy, whose father is the billionaire founder of Indian tech giant Infosys, used the valuable tax break even after Mr Sunak was put in charge of setting taxes for the country in February 2020. After days of criticism over his wife’s use of the tax break, Mr Sunak wrote to then prime minister Boris Johnson asking for an investigation into his own affairs.
He was later cleared of breaching the ministerial code in a report by the cabinet’s ethics adviser, Lord Geidt.
Ms Murty has since given up the break and promised to start paying British taxes on all her worldwide income. Mr Sunak insisted that his wife had done nothing wrong.
Green card
It then emerged Mr Sunak still held a US green card – allowing permanent residence in that country – while he was chancellor.
Overseas applicants must declare an intention to eventually become US citizens if they are to be granted a green card.
In addition, holders are required to pay US tax on their global income and also make a legal commitment to make the United States their permanent home.
Mr Sunak held the green card for nearly two years after becoming chancellor which legally declared him a “permanent US resident” – despite him living in Downing Street and serving as the MP for Richmond in Yorkshire. Lord Geidt’s review also cleared Mr Sunak of any wrongdoing over the green card.
Partygate
Mr Sunak received a £50 fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police last April alongside the then PM and his wife, Carrie Johnson.
The fine was given to the then chancellor for attending a Cabinet Room birthday bash for Mr Johnson during strict Covid lockdowns in June 2020.
He paid it immediately and apologised by saying: “I can appreciate people’s frustration. And I think it’s now the job of all of us in government and all politicians to restore people’s trust.” Opposition MPs called on Mr Sunak to quit after he received the fine.
Seatbelt fine
In January, Mr Sunak was fined by Lancashire Police for failing to wear a seatbelt while filming a social media clip in the back of a moving car.
The prime minister apologised for the “brief error of judgment” after the clip of him on a trip to Lancashire to talk about levelling up funding was posted to Instagram.
A spokesperson said Mr Sunak removed the seatbelt “for a short period of time to film a clip, which you’ve seen, but he accepts that was a mistake”.
Dog walking
Two months later, Mr Sunak’s family was “reminded of the rules” by the Met about keeping a dog on a lead when in a major London park.
It came after a video was shared online appearing to show the PM and his family allowing their pet dog to roam freely while in a royal park.
The video focused on a notice board saying “Dogs must be kept on leads” before showing Mr Sunak and what appears to be his wife putting the dog on a leash. At the time, a spokesperson for the PM told reporters: “I’m not going to be commenting on the filming of the prime minister’s family and private individuals.
“You can see the video, it speaks for itself.”
Koru Kids
On Monday Mr Sunak was put under investigation by parliament’s ethics watchdog amid claims he failed to declare a conflict of interest.
The prime minister is facing questions after it emerged that a childcare agency Koru Kids, partly owned by his wife Ms Murty, would benefit from policy changes in the Budget. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt had announced a pilot of incentive payments of £600 for childminders joining the profession. The sum doubles to £1,200 if workers sign up through an agency.
The prime minister did not mention his wife’s interest when speaking about the childcare reforms at a parliamentary committee in March after being asked if he had anything to declare.
“No, all my disclosures are declared in the normal way,” Mr Sunak said at the time.
Koru Kids, which is one of six childminder agencies listed on the government’s website, welcomed the new incentives in the Budget as “great”.
At the time the possible conflict of interest emerged, Mr Sunak’s press secretary said the interest would be included in the updated statement of ministers’ interests, due out in May.
But it seems the investigation, by the parliamentary commissioner for standards Daniel Greenberg, appears to centre on whether the prime minister should have declared the interest to MPs. The list of ministerial interests has not been updated for nearly a year.
Downing Street said Mr Sunak will clarify how it was declared as a ministerial interest, rather than to the Commons.
