Zahawi determined to stay as Tory chairman – report

The BBC is reporting that they have been told Nadhim Zahawi is determined to stay on as Conservative party chairman, amid calls for his resignation over his current tax row. 

Zahawi paid a penalty to HMRC over unpaid tax whilst he was chancellor. He calls the error “careless and not deliberate.”

But Labour is calling on PM Rishi Sunak to “come clean” about his knowledge of the deal and called Mr Zahawi’s position “untenable.” 

On Sunday, Mr Zahawi’s allies insisted he would continue in the role that he’s only been in for three months. He also said he made a payment to settle the issue.

The BBC says it understands the dispute was resolved between July and September last year – the figure is understood to be in the region of about £5 million. 

The Guardian had previously reported that Mr Zahawi paid back tax he had owed, as well as a 30% penalty, with the total settlement amounting to £4.8m.

The tax was related to a shareholding in YouGov – the polling company he co-founded in 2000 before he became an MP. 

Zahawi has not confirmed how much the penalty was or the total value of the final settlement with HM Revenue & Customs. 

‘Get the facts out now’ 

Tory MP Tim Loughton said Mr Zahawi should’ve given a fuller account earlier on. 

“The more transparency, as early as possible, might have avoided all this speculation,” the former minister told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour.

“If there’s more to it then he will absolutely have to stand up and take the consequences and the prime minister, I’m sure, will take the appropriate action.”

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith join in the calls for more scrutiny saying Zahawi should release “the absolute facts” and “get it all out now.” 

But he defended Mr Zahawi, saying he did not believe he was “deceitful”.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said it was for Mr Zahawi to decide “how much detail to put in the public domain”.