UK PM Sunak fires Conservative Party chairman after tax probe

Nadhim Zahawi’s dismissal comes after a probe into his tax affairs found a serious breach of the ministerial code.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has fired the Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi after an independent investigation into his tax affairs found a serious breach of the ministerial code.

“Following the completion of the Independent Adviser’s investigation – the findings of which he has shared with us both – it is clear that there has been a serious breach of the Ministerial Code,” Sunak said in a letter to Zahawi on Sunday.

“As a result, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in His Majesty’s Government.”

The tax issue relates to Zahawi’s co-founding in 2000 of opinion polling firm YouGov, in which he said his father had taken a stake to support its launch.

However, Britain’s tax office disagreed with the number of shares given to Zahawi’s father, when the issue was raised during his appointment as finance minister last year.

Zahawi said on Saturday he had paid dues and settled the matter with the tax office, which he said concluded that he had made a “careless and not deliberate” error.

Sunak and his government had faced questions for several days about the row, with growing pressure on Zahawi to stand aside.