British prime minister Rishi Sunak has ordered an investigation into Nadhim Zahawi as the Tory party chairman faced growing calls to quit after paying a penalty to resolve a multimillion-pound tax dispute.
Mr Sunak asked new ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus on Monday to assess whether the former chancellor breached the ministerial code with the HMRC settlement.
Mr Sunak said the minister, who is defying Labour demands for his resignation, would stay on during the inquiry, launched as a series of scandals mounted.
During a visit to a Northampton hospital, Mr Sunak told broadcasters: “Integrity and accountability is really important to me and clearly in this case there are questions that need answering.
“That’s why I’ve asked our independent adviser to get to the bottom of everything, to investigate the matter fully and establish all the facts and provide advice to me on Nadhim Zahawi’s compliance with the ministerial code.
“I’m pleased that Nadhim Zahawi has agreed with that approach and has agreed to fully co-operate with that investigation.”
