Nadhim Zahawi should now ‘step aside’ says senior Tory MP
Embattled Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi is being urged by voters to reveal exactly how much he paid HMRC in a dispute over unpaid taxes while he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr Zahawi has confirmed he has reached a settlement – including a fine – with the tax authorities, but has so far declined to say exactly how much he paid, with reports suggesting the amount was up to £5million.
But nearly two in three voters want the Stratford-on-Avon MP to openly talk about how much he has turned over to authorities, an exclusive poll by TBEN has found.
Reports say the dispute was related to YouGov, a polling company he co-founded, and Balshore Investments, a Gibraltar-registered company associated with his family.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Zahwai continued to face pressure to resign over the saga, which appears to have come to dominate exchanges between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labor leader Keir Starmer during the prime minister’s questions.
Tell us how much you owed the IRS, voters tell Zahawi
Nearly two in three Britons want Conservative chairman Nadhim Zahawi to explain how much it cost to settle his tax dispute with HMRC, a poll for TBEN has found.
About 64 percent of people — including 61 percent of Tory voters — think Zahawi should reveal exactly how much he’s handed over, according to the Savanta ComRes poll.
Our political correspondent Adam Forest reports:
Matt MathersJanuary 25, 2023 9:16 AM
Sunak and Starmer go head to head during crunch PMQs
The first two PMQ sessions of 2023 have largely followed the same pattern: Starmer attacks Sunak on public sector strikes and the NHS state and Prime Minister hit back by claiming that the Labor leader is opposed to the government’s anti-strike legislation. government is because he is in the pocket of the unions.
Many of those disputes remain unresolved and with more strikes planned in the coming weeks, there is a good chance that Sunak could again be targeted for union action by Starmer when the pair later appear before round three MPs in the House of Commons.
But today’s exchanges in the chamber will almost certainly take on a different feel after the Labor leader is given additional ammunition in the form of a scandal over the tax affairs of Tory Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi showing absolutely no signs of extinction Wednesday. morning.
Matt MathersJanuary 25, 2023 9:24 AM
Is Sunak about to dump Zahawi? Tory MPs say the prime minister risks appearing “indecisive” over the tax spat
Just a week ago, the Prime Minister defended Zahawi in the House of Commons. But as pressure mounts on Mr Sunak, Downing Street declined, saying he was confident Mr Zahawi had always been honest about his finances.
Kate Devlin, Political Editor and Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent, report:
Matt Mathers25 January 2023 09:21
In summary: who is Nadhim Zahawi?
An Iraqi refugee who arrived in Britain at the age of nine without speaking English went to 11 Downing Street last summer and supported Boris Johnson’s ailing government, only to be hit by a tax scandal himself, reports my colleague Joe Sommerlad.
Read the full article here:
Matt MathersJanuary 25, 2023 9:13 AM
Good morning and welcome to TBEN’s live coverage of politics.
We will keep you updated throughout the day as Nadhim Zahawi faces pressure to resign over a row over his tax settlement.
Stay tuned for the latest news and midday PMQs.
Matt Mathers25 January 2023 09:11
