A week is a long time in politics. Last Wednesday, Rishi Sunak stood at the despatch box and defended Nadhim Zahawi over his tax affairs. During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sunak said that when it came to reports that Zahawi had to pay millions to Revenue and Customs to settle a tax dispute, his party chairman had ‘already addressed this matter in full’.
Only now Zahawi is not only facing an investigation by the Prime Minister’s new independent ethics adviser, but the line coming from No. 10 also appears to be changing. Yesterday at a lobby briefing, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson appeared to suggest that Sunak was not aware when he appointed Zahawi as chairman that he had agreed to pay an alleged £1 million penalty to the taxman.
Speaking on this morning’s ministerial media round, Chris Philp – the minister for police, crime and fire – appeared to distance Sunak further from Zahawi.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate, free for a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.
UNLOCK ACCESS Try a month freeAlready a subscriber? Log in