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Post by northwestman on Jan 21, 2023 21:59:59 GMT 1
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Post by ssshrew on Jan 21, 2023 22:38:57 GMT 1
They may say that, I couldn’t possibly comment.
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Post by staffordshrew on Jan 21, 2023 23:51:18 GMT 1
I'm surprised he recognises that, they don't usually.
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Post by northwestman on Jan 22, 2023 16:22:23 GMT 1
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Post by northwestman on Jan 23, 2023 21:36:24 GMT 1
link.news.inews.co.uk/public/30334295For now, the new investigation into Zahawi by the independent ethics chief may be seen by the PM as a cunning wheeze, a useful delaying tactic to avoid yet more embarrassment in this week’s PMQs. But it may just prolong the agony of his eventual demise.
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Post by frankwellshrews on Jan 24, 2023 11:26:22 GMT 1
What I'm not clear on is whether this is a tax evasion or avoidance issue. £4m seems like a lot of money to hand over just for goodwill and even if the scheme was marked as tax avoidance that only flags it as a loophole to close in future.
If it's a 4 million quid tax fraud we're talking about then how can he carry on as chancellor, regardless of whether he paid the bill?
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Post by wookeywombat on Jan 24, 2023 12:31:49 GMT 1
Whatever has happened, it boils down to sheer incompetence and the same with Sunak and his seat belt. How can such incompetents be fit to govern the country?
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Post by ssshrew on Jan 24, 2023 14:43:42 GMT 1
Simple - they’re not. We need an election.
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Post by northwestman on Jan 25, 2023 12:30:42 GMT 1
www.ft.com/content/9a495d3c-8c8e-4938-8075-44644c0ad7ebHow Nadhim Zahawi mixed business and politics. Interesting that Zahawi was instrumental in setting up Greensill's bid to offer taxpayer backed covid loans to steel tycoon Gupta, who is currently under investigation for fraud. And surprise, surprise. Correspondence between Zahawi and Gupta has been deleted from Zahawi's phone.
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Post by staffordshrew on Jan 25, 2023 13:06:23 GMT 1
Has he gone yet?
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Post by northwestman on Jan 25, 2023 13:36:02 GMT 1
No. He's joined Raab in being kicked into the long grass by being made the subject of an Inquiry, the result of which Sunak can feel free to throw into the bin, just as Johnson did when the Inquiry into Patel came to the conclusion that she was a bully. In the end, it was the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, Sir Alex Allan, who resigned. |
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Post by staffordshrew on Jan 25, 2023 13:46:00 GMT 1
No. He's joined Raab in being kicked into the long grass by being made the subject of an Inquiry, the result of which Sunak can feel free to throw into the bin, just as Johnson did when the Inquiry into Patel came to the conclusion that she was a bully. In the end, it was the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, Sir Alex Allan, who resigned. Of couse he will, Sunak made sure there was nothing about integrity in his pledges. We will halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living and give people financial security. We will grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country. We will make sure our national debt is falling so that we can secure the future of public services. NHS waiting lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly. We will pass new laws to stop small boats, making sure that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed. |
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Post by northwestman on Jan 25, 2023 13:59:34 GMT 1
The chairman of the committee on standards in public life has criticised Nadhim Zahawi’s use of lawyers in an attempt to push back on inquiries into his tax affairs.
Lord Evans, the former boss of MI5, said in an interview that Mr Zahawi’s behaviour went against the Nolan Principles, which include integrity and leadership.
It comes as former Cabinet ministers and senior Tory figures broke ranks to call on their chairman to quit after he admitted paying a penalty over “errors” in his tax affairs, which were deemed “careless but not deliberate” by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
It has emerged that Mr Zahawi threatened The Independent newspaper three times with legal action when asked for his response to inquiries by the National Crime Agency and HMRC.
Lawyers acting on his behalf have also sent letters to Dan Neidle, a former Magic Circle lawyer and Labour activist who has spent months on his own investigations into the former chancellor.
Daily Telegraph.
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Post by staffordshrew on Jan 25, 2023 14:20:48 GMT 1
The chairman of the committee on standards in public life has criticised Nadhim Zahawi’s use of lawyers in an attempt to push back on inquiries into his tax affairs. Lord Evans, the former boss of MI5, said in an interview that Mr Zahawi’s behaviour went against the Nolan Principles, which include integrity and leadership. It comes as former Cabinet ministers and senior Tory figures broke ranks to call on their chairman to quit after he admitted paying a penalty over “errors” in his tax affairs, which were deemed “careless but not deliberate” by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). It has emerged that Mr Zahawi threatened The Independent newspaper three times with legal action when asked for his response to inquiries by the National Crime Agency and HMRC. Lawyers acting on his behalf have also sent letters to Dan Neidle, a former Magic Circle lawyer and Labour activist who has spent months on his own investigations into the former chancellor. Daily Telegraph. That is indefensible and will lead to his inevitable demise. Unsustanable as a finger pointing critic of the opposition, but, as a Chancellor.... well, you set a "thief" to catch "thieves". |
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Post by northwestman on Jan 26, 2023 13:04:36 GMT 1
Nadhim Zahawi has not made an “innocent error” in his tax affairs, the head of HMRC has suggested.
Jim Harra, HMRC’s chief executive, told MPs on the Public Accounts Committee this morning that “there are no penalties for innocent errors in your tax affairs”.
Rishi Sunak has launched an ethics probe into Mr Zahawi over a multimillion-pound tax dispute the Tory chairman resolved by paying a penalty.
Mr Harra said: “I am not commenting on any particular person’s affairs but carelessness is a concept in tax law. It can be relevant to how many back years that we can assess and it can be relevant to whether someone is liable to a penalty and if so, what penalty they will be liable to for an error in their tax affairs.
“There are no penalties for innocent errors in your tax affairs. So if you take reasonable care, but nevertheless make a mistake, whilst you will be liable for the tax and for interest if it’s paid late, you would not be liable for a penalty.
“But if your error was as a result of carelessness, then legislation says that a penalty could apply in those circumstances.”
Daily Telegraph.
Pretty damning stuff as far as Zahawi is concerned.
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Post by northwestman on Jan 26, 2023 14:45:31 GMT 1
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nadhim-zahawi-tax-david-cameron-b2267234.htmlNadhim Zahawi failed to tell officials that he had exchanged WhatsApp messages with David Cameron when the former PM was contacting ministers about Greensill Capital loans, it has been reported. The Tory chair – fighting for his political life after admitting he had to settle a tax dispute with HMRC – wrongly told investigators that he had not exchanged messages with Mr Cameron, according to The Times. A probe by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found that Mr Zahawi did not tell officials about messages from Mr Cameron looking for help with contact details, the newspaper said. Mr Zahawi later admitted messages were exchanged – but said they had been deleted, after their existence was established and the ICO returned to ask him again about the communication. Mr Cameron’s work lobbying for loans for the failed finance firm Greensill sparked a scandal in 2021, when the former PM admitted he should have communicated with ministers through “formal channels” rather than text and WhatsApp. The former Tory leader wrote to Mr Zahawi that founder Lex Greensill “says you are being v helpful over HMT and CBILS programme. Would it help if I pinged a message to Richard Sharp? I used to see him a bit in early leadership days but haven’t so much recently [...] All good wishes Dc.” And what on earth has Sharp, Sunak's ex boss at Goldman Sachs, Boris's mate and now Chairman of the BBC. got to do with this? Ah, he acted as an unpaid adviser to Sunak on the UK's economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's all very incestuous isn't it?
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Post by northwestman on Jan 26, 2023 21:08:49 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/26/nadhim-zahawi-faces-questions-over-source-of-30m-unsecured-loans-to-wifes-property-companyNadhim Zahawi, the beleaguered former chancellor and current chair of the Conservative party, is under pressure to reveal the source of about £30m of unsecured loans made to his wife’s UK property company. The loans were used to finance parts of a large UK property portfolio, reported last year as worth about £100m, and were declared in company accounts which span a period from 2017 to 2021 but give no information about who the lenders are. The calls for greater transparency are the latest request for the former chancellor to explain how his family’s fortune has been managed, after he became embroiled in a mounting controversy over his tax affairs that prompted the government to launch an ethics investigation. Accounts show just under £30m has been provided as unsecured loans to a company called Zahawi & Zahawi, which has paid £60m for a property portfolio that includes commercial and retail premises in London, Birmingham, Brighton and Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. Zahawi & Zahawi was formed in 2010 when it was owned jointly by the MP and his wife, Lana Saib, before he transferred his 50% shareholding to her when he became a junior minister in January 2018.
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Post by staffordshrew on Jan 27, 2023 13:12:47 GMT 1
There may be some more, "Crowd2fund" might be mentioned. May be no more than an oversight so I won't link to it.
Here are those that do pay their taxes. The top 20 taxpayers in the UK last year:
Alex Gerko – Financial trading – £487.4 million Denise, John and Peter Coates – Gambling – £460.2 million
Stephen Rubin and family – Sportswear – £392.3 million
Sir Chris Hohn – Hedge fund – £263 million Fred and Peter Done and family – Gambling – £136.8 million Mike Ashley – Sports equipment and fashion – £133.5 million
Tim Martin – Pubs – £123.2 million
Ranjit and Baljinder Boparan and family – Food – £120.7 million Tom Morris and family – Retail – £112.2 million
Ian and Richard Livingstone – Property – £104 million Dame Mary and Douglas Perkins and family – Opticians – £100.9 million
Sir James Dyson and family – Technology – £93 millionLady Philomena Clark and family – Car sales – £92.7 million Leonie Schroder and family – Finance – £88.7 million
John Bloor – Housebuilding and motorcycles – £86.4 million
Glenn Gordon and family – Distilling – £81.6 million
Will Adderley and family – Home furnishings – £69.8 million
The Marshall family – Defence equipment and car sales – £60.3 million
Kathy and John Murphy and family – Construction and property – £59.8 million
Peter Kelly – Software – £59.6 million.
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Post by northwestman on Jan 28, 2023 23:12:42 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/28/sunak-was-warned-of-zahawi-reputational-risk-in-october-say-sourcesRishi Sunak was told there could be a reputational risk to the government from Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs when he appointed him as Conservative party chair in October, sources have told the Observer. During the period when the prime minister was drawing up his new cabinet, senior government officials gave him informal advice about the risks from an HMRC investigation that had been settled just months earlier, sources said. That included warning Sunak, whose knowledge of Zahawi’s finances at the time of his appointment has come under close scrutiny in recent days, that the tax issue involved a significant sum of money and was not a trivial accounting error, it is claimed. Various sources have claimed that additional, informal advice was given to Sunak in the days around the appointment by cabinet secretary Simon Case and senior officials, warning him of reputational risks to the government as a result of Zahawi’s finances and the HMRC dispute. The name of Simon Case keeps cropping up doesn't it?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2023 10:36:48 GMT 1
Sacked.
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Post by ssshrew on Jan 29, 2023 10:52:06 GMT 1
Not before time. Strange though since Sunak appeared to back him in the first instance. Dithering doesn’t come into it. What a truly awful bunch they are. There doesn’t seem to be a decent one amongst them.
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Post by staffordshrew on Jan 29, 2023 11:15:44 GMT 1
If Sunak, a political pygmy, has finally decided his own skin is safer if he's seen to be a little tougher, then there will be a good few others looking over their shoulders.
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Post by northwestman on Jan 29, 2023 11:25:59 GMT 1
Well, that Inquiry didn't take long to come up with its conclusions! Mind you, it's long been seen as blatantly obvious that he was at fault by the rest of us. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/29/nadhim-zahawi-sacked-tory-party-chair-tax-affairs-rishi-sunakRishi Sunak has sacked the Conservative party chair, Nadhim Zahawi, after he was found to have breached the ministerial code by failing to declare the HMRC investigation into his tax affairs. An investigation by the prime minister’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, concluded that Zahawi had made a “serious breach” of the code by not telling officials he was under investigation by the tax body when he was appointed chancellor by Boris Johnson. He had also failed to officially declare that he paid a settlement to HMRC for tax avoidance when he was given cabinet positions by Liz Truss last September and when Sunak made him Tory chair and minister without portfolio in September. Sunak's deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, is also under investigation over bullying allegations while Johnson, the former prime minister, faces a high-stakes Commons privileges committee inquiry into whether he misled parliament over the Partygate scandal. |
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Post by northwestman on Jan 29, 2023 11:30:23 GMT 1
Not before time. Strange though since Sunak appeared to back him in the first instance. Dithering doesn’t come into it. What a truly awful bunch they are. There doesn’t seem to be a decent one amongst them. That was the Johnson strategy - remember how he unequivocally backed Hancock and others only to jettison them soon afterwards. No principles whatsoever other than self preservation - Sunak has had a good tutor. |
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Post by northwestman on Jan 29, 2023 14:15:39 GMT 1
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Post by zenfootball2 on Jan 29, 2023 15:21:21 GMT 1
Zunak had ample informarmation a week ago to sack him.instead he looks weak,also we have multiple complaints of bullying been investigated for his deputy prime minister Dominic Raab . Sunak could have to sack his deputy and party Chairman , he hardly made a great start by bringing back Braveman after been forced to resign over a security breach.
under Thatcher the conservatives were not known as the nasty party now pherhaps we should add immoral and sleaze ridden.
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Post by northwestman on Jan 29, 2023 22:24:46 GMT 1
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11689051/Nadhim-Zahawi-SACKED-Rishi-Sunak-breach-ministerial-rules-tax-row.htmlNadhim Zahawi is facing calls to quit as an MP after being sacked from Government by the Prime Minister after he was found to have committed a 'serious breach' of ministerial rules. In his letter to Sunak, Zahawi couldn't resist having a go at the Independent for outing him, whilst not issuing one word of apology for his actions. And don't forget he was threatening both that paper and independent tax expert Dan Neidle with potential libel actions for uncovering the truth about him in an attempt to gag them. A thoroughly odious individual.
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Post by northwestman on Jan 30, 2023 10:43:40 GMT 1
and so it goes on...
Unnamed allies of the former Tory chair briefed the Spectator on Sunday about what they believed were inconsistencies in the No 10 case about what Zahawi had told officials about his tax.
According to the article, the allies say Zahawi did tell officials about the HMRC investigation and the penalty he subsequently paid when he was made chancellor under Boris Johnson, and that the Cabinet Office was thus “fully in the picture” when he became party chair.
Other sources told the Times that a “furious” Zahawi believed he was not given the chance to properly put his case to Magnus, and might publish his own formal response to the sacking.
No 10 and the Cabinet Office throwing Zahawi under a bus to save their own skins? Surely not!
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Post by staffordshrew on Jan 30, 2023 11:11:43 GMT 1
If Zahawi cared about the Conservative party as much as himself he would have done the decent thing and resigned weeks ago. But he's always been one to cling on, claiming carelessness, remember his electricity bill where he carelessly claimed expenses for the electricity for his stables.....
Woudn't surprise me if the newspapers didn't rake over other MP's who have "had a bit of trouble" in the best, undeterred, maybe even spurred on, by threats of legal action. If Zahawi had persued legal action he could have ended up in the same situation his friend Jeffrey Archer did, so threats of legal action from politicians are likely to remain just that, threats.
Incidently, how did Archer manage to remain a member of the House of lords?
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Post by northwestman on Jan 30, 2023 12:45:54 GMT 1
Allies of Mr Zahawi disputed Sir Laurie’s conclusions, alleging that he told Sir Tom Scholar, the then Treasury permanent secretary, about the HMRC investigation and the fine – something that did not appear in Sir Laurie’s report
And they claimed he had updated his ministerial register of interests in September when he was appointed to the Cabinet by Liz Truss. Sir Laurie’s report states this did not happen until January.
Sir Tom was sacked from the Treasury by Kwasi Kwarteng, Liz Truss's chancellor, in September.
Looks like Tom Scholar is being targeted by Zahawi. Probably Simon Case too.
For Sunak, who came to office promising “integrity”, the row continues to raise questions. Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner and party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds have written to the PM to ask him what he knew about the investigation into Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs.
But if it is true that Zahawi did inform officials, then it must also be very likely that Johnson and Sunak would have known about this and this investigation had only one aim in mind and that was to protect Sunak by ditching Zahawi.
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