Nadhim Zahawi was sacked as Tory party chairman
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Rishi Sunak was under growing pressure on Monday to remove the whip from Nadhim Zahawi following the storm over his tax affairs.
Mr Zahawi was sacked as party chairman yesterday after a report by the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus concluded that he broke the ministerial code.
Sir Laurie said Mr Zahawi had shown “insufficient regard for the General Principles of the Ministerial Code and the requirements in particular, under the Seven Principles of Public Life, to be honest, open and an exemplary leader through his own behaviour ” for failing to declare he was in a dispute with HM Revenue and Customs. Despite previously describing media reports that he was under investigation by HMRC as “smears”, he admitted earlier this month that he had agreed a settlement reportedly worth £4.8 million.
Although Mr Sunak sacked his party chairman within two hours of getting the report, the affair over Mr Zahawi and the bullying probe into Deputy PM Dominic Raab have raised questions over his pledge to lead a government of integrity. Opposition parties have also questioned why he took so long to act and are calling for Mr Zahawi to have the whip removed.
Defending the Prime Minister’s handling of the affair this morning, Health minister Helen Whately came under intense questioning over why Mr Sunak was happy for him to remain a Tory MP.
“The independent ethics adviser reached his conclusion and set out his views on the facts of the case yesterday morning, and the Prime Minister took a swift decision and removed Nadhim Zahawi from his post in government,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
In his report Sir Laurie criticised Mr Zahawi for not correcting previous public statements last July in response to reports which alleged he was under investigation over his taxes.
He said: “Mr Zahawi did not correct the record until 21 January 2023.”
Sir Laurie added: “I consider that this delay in correcting an untrue public statement is inconsistent with the requirement for openness.”
Asked on Today if Conservative MPs are allowed to make “untrue” public statements, Ms Whately replied: “I don’t think any MP should say something that is untrue.”
The Lib Dems have written to Mr Sunak urging him to remove the whip from Mr Zahawi. The PM hinted he would not do so in his sacking letter to Mr Zahawi yesterday.
Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said “the best outcome” would be if he stood down at the next election.
