Through an investigation into the tax claim case against Zahawi, Sunak discovered that the party chairman had committed serious breaches of the ministerial act.

– Accordingly, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in Her Majesty’s Government, the Prime Minister wrote in a public letter to Zahawi on Sunday.

The backdrop was a claim of millions

Zahawi admitted to having been in conflict with the tax authorities, linked to a stake in YouGov, the opinion polling institute he co-founded.

The dispute concerns a solid tax claim, which Zahawi said was due to negligence on his part, not a deliberate act of tax evasion.

Several British media reported that there was talk of a tax claim, as well as a subsequent fine of just over NOK 60 million.

Resolved conflict under Johnson

However, the dispute was resolved when Zahawi was finance minister between July and September last year, during Boris Johnson’s final weeks as prime minister. This raised questions.

– I chose to settle the matter and pay what they said was due, so that I could focus on my life as a civil servant, a statement from Zahawi read.

On Monday, Sunak asked his adviser Laurie Magnus to investigate the matter to determine whether the party chairman had complied with the ministerial act.

Stabbing at the media in a letter to Sunak

In a letter to Sunak after learning that the president was removed from office, Zahawi writes that it has been the privilege of his life to serve the government, reports Sky News.

He also said he was concerned about the behavior of the media and questioned the mention of “legitimate control of public officials”. It refers to a headline that said “the gutter loop is getting tighter”.

Also, he apologizes to the family for the burden the case has had on the family.

Zahawi also writes that Sunak can be sure he will support the prime minister.

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– Weak

The opposition believes Sunak should have fired Zahawi immediately rather than “buying time” by asking his adviser to investigate Zahawi. This scandal only highlights that Sunak is a “weak” prime minister, Labor politician Bridget Phillipson told Sky News.

Progress Minister Michael Gove, however, believes Sunak has handled the matter well.

– I think it reflects the determination he has to ensure that people are treated fairly, that the government puts action first, Gove tells the BBC.