On which of the following, proved charges the Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi was sacked from the Government in February, 2023 by the British P.M. Rishi Sunak?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, Tax Scandal. UK PM Rishi Sunak sacked Nadhim Zahawi in late January 2023 (early 2023) after his ethics adviser found a ‘serious breach’ of the Ministerial Code over Zahawi’s tax affairs — an out-of-court settlement with HMRC that included a penalty, and his failure to disclose the HMRC investigation while he was Chancellor. The proven charge was therefore a tax scandal.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Zahawi was not removed for leaking cabinet secrets; the finding against him concerned his personal tax affairs and non-disclosure of an HMRC inquiry.  (b) His dismissal had nothing to do with a sex scandal; the Ministerial Code breach related to his tax settlement with HMRC.  (d) Incorrect — option (c), the tax scandal, is the actual proven charge, so ‘None of the above’ does not apply.

Concept: Nadhim Zahawi, a senior UK Conservative politician (Chancellor of the Exchequer in mid-2022, then Minister without Portfolio and party chairman under Sunak), was dismissed after the PM’s independent ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus concluded he had committed serious breaches of the Ministerial Code by failing to be open about a settlement with the tax authority HMRC over his tax affairs.

State PCS 2023 Q119 — Current Affairs PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2023 Q119 — Current Affairs PYQ with Answer