UK chief fires celebration chairman over tax invoice allegations

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired the chairman of his ruling Conservative Get together Sunday over a “severe breach” of the ministerial code.

Stress had been constructing on Nadhim Zahawi amid allegations he settled a multimillion-dollar unpaid tax bill whereas he was answerable for the nation’s Treasury.

In a letter to Zahawi, Sunak wrote he had been pressured to behave after promising at the beginning of his tenure that his authorities “would have integrity, professionalism and accountability at each degree”.

Zahawi, the founding father of polling web site YouGov, had acknowledged a dispute with tax authorities, however argued his error was “careless and never deliberate”.

The British media reported the settlement got here to virtually 5 million kilos ($6.2 million).

Zahawi headed the UK Treasury from July to September 2022 within the last months of Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister.