Rishi Sunak faces sacking of Nadhim Zahawi – UK Politics Live | Politics

Nadhim Zahawi has been sacked as Conservative party chairman, a government post in the Cabinet Office where a minister has no title, but that has not been enough for some opposition parties. The Liberal Democrats say he should resign as MP.in a statement this morning Daisy Cooper, The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats said:

Nadhim Zahawi failed to pay the taxes he owed, refused to confess, and then threatened activists and journalists with legal action simply because they tried to expose the truth.

This shows that Zahavi is simply not fit to represent his constituents in parliament. If he refuses to step down as MP, Rishi Sunak will surely have no choice but to withdraw the Tory whip.

Even some of Zahavi’s colleagues think he should leave parliament.gentlemen Jeffrey Clifton-Brown, The treasurer of the Backbench 1922 committee told Radio 5 Live last night that Zahavi should step down in the next election.

but this morning Helen Whatley, The social welfare minister said there was no need for Zahavi to quit parliament. Whately is the government representative who participated in the morning media interview as my colleague peter walker She reportedly said Zahavi’s voters could decide whether he should continue to represent them.

Good morning. It was widely predicted that Nadhim Zahawi would lose his job as Conservative Party chairman following an investigation into his tax affairs, but I don’t think anyone in the Westminster political media scene expected to be sacked at 9am on Sunday morning. Usually this is the blind spot of Bulletin 10. The timing seems intentionally suggestive of decisiveness and suggests that Rishi Sunak is taking the initiative.

But Zahavi’s departure has not deterred criticism from the opposition and others of Sunak’s handling of affairs. The story has entered the “questioning his judgment” phase of scandal reporting, with Labor already writing an open letter to Sunak, raising a series of unanswered questions. It said the scandal “leaves many unanswered questions”. Here is the letter.

Conveniently, Sunak will be answering questions this morning. He’s doing a Q&A in the north-east of England this morning and some of those questions are sure to come up.

But it’s not just Labor that has questions about the process.Zahavi is said to be furious at his treatment, and Steven Swinford The Times said Zahavi was considering publishing his own response to Sir Laurie Magnus’ report into his tax affairs, which he believed to be flawed. swinford said:

Zahavi is said to have been furious and felt he had no chance to present his case. He had a 30-minute meeting with Magnus last Wednesday and didn’t see details of Magnus’ report until it was posted on Twitter.

Allies of Zahavi disputed Magnus’ timetable. Zahavi did not notify the Cabinet Office of his settlement with HMRC until January, Magnus said. People close to Zahavi claim he did so in September when he was appointed chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by Liz Truss and by Sunak. Chairman of the Conservative Party.

They said he had text messages and emails to back up his claim, information that he was said to have shown Magnus. Zahavi is also said to have been furious at the way he was sacked shortly before 9am on Sunday. Zahavi was still sending materials to Magnus on Saturday night and received his dismissal notice half an hour earlier.

“It’s outrageous, the timing is deliberate and brutal. He had an hour-and-a-half meeting on Wednesday where he gave his point of view and that’s it. People deserve a right of reply. There is may respond to the report.”

The Daily Telegraph and the BBC have similar briefings.

The Spectator published its own list of questions to Sunak on the premise that Zahavi did not get a fair hearing.

Today, Sunak wanted to talk about his announced plans to commission thousands of additional hospital beds and hundreds of additional ambulances next winter to reduce A&E wait times. But the din of the scandal meant he didn’t get the hearing he wanted, either.

This is the agenda for the day.

After 9.30am: Rishi Sunak Q&A in north east England after visiting a hospital.

11:30 am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

2pm: The National Education Union holds talks with Education Minister Gillian Keegan.

After 3pm: Reporting phase of peer debate on the Public Order Bill.

After 3.30pm: MPs debate the remaining stages of the Strike (Minimum Service Level) Bill.

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