British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his dismissal of Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi was done “decisively” following the findings of the ethics probe over Zahawi’s tax affairs. Sunak’s comments are part of efforts to address criticisms of how fast he acted.
In a question and answer session on Monday in the north of England, Sunak maintained his innocence over the tax scandal involving Zahawi, marking the second controversy involving one of Sunak’s ministers. The controversy also comes months after Sunak pledged to lead the United Kingdom with “integrity, professionalism, and accountability.”
What I did as soon as I knew about the situation was appoint somebody independent, looked at it, got the advice, and then acted pretty decisively to move on because that’s what I think all of you deserve, from me and my government,” said Sunak. “I will take whatever steps are necessary to restore integrity back into politics.”
Zahawi briefly served as finance minister under Sunak’s predecessor Boris Johnson. Sunak’s independent adviser ruled that Zahawi had breached the rules that ministers are required to comply with. Sunak is now facing a new challenge of appointing a new chair to the governing Conservative Party, the position becoming even more significant as the country is gearing up for its general elections in 2024.
Some lawmakers said they expect Sunak to appoint a candidate he does not only trust but also has a clean record in parliament. Other lawmakers speculated that Sunak may choose to appoint someone well-established and could be able to shore up support among the party’s members.
Sunak was also pressed about public sector pay and said the country could not increase taxes any further. Sunak’s response comes as the government is facing demands for increased pay for public sector workers, as nurses and teachers, among other key industries going on strike as they demand increased pay amidst high inflation.
“I don’t want to put any of your taxes up,” said Sunak. “Figuring out how to pay for these things is part of my job and…where we are with taxes at the moment, we can’t put them up anymore, right, and we need to be getting them down. So that’s what constrains me on one end.”