Sacked Zahawi’s graceless blast

After Sunak axes chairman, Mogg pushes Boris for job... but Hague is also in frame

His parting shot – no apology and a bitter swipe at the media

NADHIM Zahawi yesterday launched an extraordinary attack on the Press over media reports that ended his career in frontline politics.

In an unrepentant letter to Rishi Sunak who fired him yesterday morning, the former Tory chairman made no reference to the tax row that led to his sacking, and offered no apology for his conduct.

Mr Sunak is now hunting for a ‘squeaky clean’ candidate for Tory party chairman, and was last night struggling to find an immediate replacement for the post, which is critical in the run-up to a general election expected next year.

Showing no contrition over his behaviour, Mr Zahawi instead yesterday claimed he was ‘concerned’ about the conduct of sections of the Press which had investigated his tax affairs – and implied coverage could lead to threats against MPs or his family.

Mr Zahawi, who is reported to have paid a £1million fine as part of a £5million settlement with HMRC, had previously threatened legal action against journalists trying

‘Hunting for someone squeaky clean’

to look into the tax probe. The Prime Minister dismissed the former vaccines minister for a ‘serious breach of the ministerial code’ less than two hours after receiving a report by ethics chief Sir Laurie Magnus. Mr Zahawi was criticised in the report for his lack of candour in statements to the Press about his tax affairs.

On July 10 last year, when he had been under investigation by HMRC for more than 12 months, he dismissed reports of the probe, saying: ‘It’s very sad that such smears should be circulated and sadder still that they have been published.’ Sir Laurie said Mr Zahawi ‘ should have understood’ he was under investigation by HMRC, which had held face-to-face talks with him the previous year, and that this was ‘a serious matter’.

He added that the then chancellor’s dismissal of the reports failed to meet the duty of ministers to be ‘ as open as possible with Parliament and the public’.

But in his letter to Mr Sunak yesterday, Mr Zahawi wrote: ‘I am concerned about the conduct of some of the fourth

estate.’ In an apparent reference to a recent alleged assault on former health secretary Matt Hancock on the London Underground, he added: ‘In a week when an MP was physically assaulted, I fail to see how one headline on this issue, “The Noose Tightens”, reflects legitimate scrutiny of public officials. I am sorry to my family for the toll this has taken on them.’

Last night two ministers told the Mail that former Tory leader William Hague was among the possible candidates for the job. One said: ‘If the PM could persuade Hague to do it, it would be fantastic. He is hugely popular with the party in the country and he is someone who could clearly and forcefully articulate the Government’s message.’ No 10 hinted

that the search could take some time and said the PM had not yet ‘sounded [anyone] out’, including Lord Hague, who is a close ally of the PM and was invited to attend last week’s Cabinet ‘away day’ at Chequers.

For the moment, Mr Zahawi’s duties will pass temporarily to Tory party chief executive Stephen Massey.

Allies of Mr Sunak dismissed a suggestion from Jacob ReesMogg that Boris Johnson could take the job.

Mr Rees-Mogg told GB News yesterday that Mr Johnson ‘has all the right attributes for a party chairman’. But Mr ReesMogg admitted the PM and his predecessor were ‘not the closest of political allies’. Grant Shapps, Andrew Mitchell and

Penny Mordaunt are reported to have ‘auditioned for the role’ during last week’s Chequers away day. But neither Mr Shapps nor Mr Mitchell are thought to be interested in the job, and Miss Mordaunt is not close politically to Mr Sunak.

Robert Jenrick and Therese Coffey were among the names being touted last night.

Mr Sunak received Sir Laurie’s report at 7am yesterday while at home in North Yorkshire. Two hours later, Mr Zahawi was sacked in a brief telephone conversation. Sir Laurie found Mr Zahawi had breached the ministerial code on seven occasions, saying he should have declared he was under investigation by the taxman and had been fined.

THE end was brutal in its execution but hardly a surprise. For several days Nadhim Zahawi has been clinging on to his job as Tory party chairman by a thread. Yesterday the thread finally snapped.

In a brief telephone call, Rishi Sunak told him he had breached the ministerial code, failed to meet the standards required of his Government and had to go.

Mr Zahawi can have no real complaints. He obfuscated about his tax affairs and – crucially – failed to tell the Prime Minister that the £5million he paid HMRC in settlement included a seven-figure penalty for lack of full disclosure.

For a backbencher, this would have been deeply embarrassing. For a Cabinet minister who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer while he was being investigated, it was fatal.

Like many prominent figures caught in the eye of a scandal, Mr Zahawi shamefully tried to blame the Press. But this was a mess entirely of his own making and he should face up to it.

Although the Left was naturally crowing with delight at another high-profile Tory scalp, this is in many ways a tragic tale.

A refugee from Iraq, who came here as a child unable to speak English, Mr Zahawi went on to help create and build the hugely successful polling company YouGov from scratch. He showed exactly the kind of enterprise and work ethic this country needs – and the Conservative Party has always championed.

But Mr Sunak had no option but to sack him. He has founded his premiership on high principles of transparency, integrity and professionalism. Mr Zahawi fell short.

The PM initially accepted the party chairman’s denial of impropriety but later set up an ethics inquiry to establish the facts. Six days into that inquiry his mind was made up, hence yesterday’s decisive action.

Labour accuses Mr Sunak of dither for not dismissing him sooner, but most fairminded people will think he acted properly and honestly throughout.

However, there are much bigger issues in play than Mr Zahawi’s tax status. This has been a painful episode but also a distraction.

Rishi and his ministers must now focus all their attention on what really matters – our stalling economy, failing health and social care service and the war raging in Europe.