Home Office minister Robert Jenrick said it is a ‘private matter’ for the current Conservative Party chairman.
18 January 2023
A minister has insisted no evidence has emerged of “inappropriate behaviour” by former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi after he allegedly paid millions in tax to settle a dispute.
Home Office minister Robert Jenrick said on Wednesday that it is a “private matter” for Mr Zahawi, who was appointed as Conservative Party chairman by Rishi Sunak.
Questions have swirled around Mr Zahawi since the Sun on Sunday reported he agreed to pay a seven-figure sum to settle a dispute with HMRC.
He allegedly avoided tax by using an offshore company registered in Gibraltar to hold shares in the polling company he co-founded, YouGov.
Mr Jenrick, a former Treasury minister, argues that the “important factor” is that Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs are now up to date.
“I think this is a private matter for Nadhim Zahawi,” Mr Jenrick told LBC radio.
“Ministers have to declare their interests to the Cabinet Office and the ministerial code and I’m sure that Nadhim Zahawi has done that in the appropriate way.
“I think it’s very important that any minister maintains their tax affairs appropriately. In fact that is a question that you’re asked on appointment as a minister.
“The bar is obviously higher as a Treasury minister but I’ve seen no evidence to suggest there has been any inappropriate behaviour by Mr Zahawi so I’d be careful about making allegations without the facts.”
A spokesman for Mr Zahawi has said that his taxes are “properly declared” and that he “has never had to instruct any lawyers to deal with HMRC on his behalf”.
“As he has previously stated, Mr Zahawi’s taxes are properly declared and paid in the UK,” the spokesman said.
“He is proud to have built a British business that has become successful around the world.”
YouGov’s 2009 annual report showed a more than 10% shareholding by the Gibraltar-registered Balshore Investments Ltd.
The report described the company as the “family trust of Nadhim Zahawi”, then an executive director of the polling firm.
Responding to reports of the settlement, Labour Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said: “If true, this is another nail in the coffin of the honesty, integrity and accountability promised by Rishi Sunak.
“This raises serious questions for both Nadhim Zahawi and the PM.”
