The position of Nadhim Zahawi in government had appeared increasingly tenuous for days.
His life story of moving to the United Kingdom as a child, not understanding English, and rising to become a multimillionaire and cabinet minister has earned him widespread acclaim and respect among his peers.
Almost all Conservative MPs and ministers with whom I spoke, however, would add a massive “but” to this statement.
They found his tax affairs, what they thought to be his lack of openness and candor (which the prime minister’s ethics adviser has since concluded), strange, otherworldly, and a distraction from everything else the government was attempting to do.
As I mentioned the other day, the administration was determined to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Which may be difficult when something is in the hands of an independent consultant.
Sir Laurie Magnus, the new independent advisor, has acted swiftly and decisively. His verdict is frank, concise, and direct.
In addition, his findings give additional light on the sequence of events.
Mr. Zahawi and the tax authority first communicated in April 2021, as is now known. This occurred months before he was named secretary of education.
And well over a year before he was appointed chancellor and initially discussed his conversations with HM Revenue and Customs with government colleagues (HMRC).
We also know that about two weeks after he was named chancellor, he indicated expressly that he was in a dispute with the tax authority, having received a letter that, it appears, altered his perception of the scope of the tax authority’s inquiries.
Sir Laurie believes that it should have been evident to Mr. Zahawi that the situation was grave much, much earlier. And that he should have informed government officials much, much earlier.
Critics of the prime minister asserted that considering what was publicly known or being discussed in the news. He has shown insufficient interest in Mr. Zahawi’s business.
Sir Laurie claims that Mr. Zahawi’s silence prevented screening checks from revealing crucial information to the prime minister.
And so, Mr. Zahawi is a goner.
His defiant statement to journalists ignores his ministerial code violation.
Some of his associates thought some media coverage was racist, and he was furious.
His detractors deem it appalling that he threatened certain journalists with libel writs when they were revealing facts about him.
The prime minister is currently seeking a new party chairman.
Before Christmas, he lost Gavin Williamson as a minister over allegations of bullying, which Sir Gavin “refuted.”
Dominic Raab, who denies bullying, is also under investigation.
Instead of acting rashly, according to Downing Street, the prime minister exhibits his integrity by adhering to procedure and ensuring that complaints are thoroughly probed.
However, many inside the administration believe Rishi Sunak was “too friendly” toward Mr. Zahawi and should have been fired a week ago.
Mr. Sunak’s judgement hinges on whether he should have appointed these ministers.
