Rishi Sunak denies being 'hopelessly weak' over Nadhim Zahawi
Rishi Sunak defended his decision to launch an ethics inquiry into Nadhim Zahawi rather than sacking him, at Prime Minister's Questions.
Sir Keir Starmer said the PM was "hopelessly weak" for not firing the minister for "seeking to avoid tax".
"Is he starting to wonder if this job is just too big for him?" the Labour leader asked.
Mr Sunak said it was Sir Keir who was weak because "he has no principles just petty politics".
Labour has said Mr Sunak must say whether he has ever paid a penalty to Revenue and Customs, like Mr Zahawi. Downing Street has so far declined to say, calling an individual's tax arrangements "confidential".
The prime minister's official spokeswoman said the PM would be publishing his tax returns "in due course".
In the House of Commons, Mr Sunak said it would have been "politically expedient" to sack Mr Zahawi as a minister before PMQs got under way at noon but he believed in "proper due process".
That was why, he said, he had asked ask his ethics adviser to investigate whether the Conservative Party chairman had broken ministerial rules.
It will be up to the PM to decide whether to sack Mr Zahawi if his ethics adviser says he has broken the ministerial code.
Mr Zahawi was chancellor at the time the estimated £4.8m settlement was agreed with HMRC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64401065