Earlier, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had avoided to sack Zahawi as Tory party chairman on the demands of opposition parties after reports that he paid a penalty as part of an estimated £4.8 million settlement dispute with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
The ethics inquiry
Instead of Zahawi’s ouster, Sunak asked new ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, to assess whether the settlement amounted to a breach of the ministerial code.
After the conclusion of the investigation, Sir Laurie, in a letter written to the PM, said Zahawi had shown insufficient regard for the principles of the ministerial code and had not fulfilled the requirements of being an open, honest and an exemplary leader.
Sunak, in a letter written to 55-year-old Zahawi following the ethics adviser’s findings, said it is clear there has been a serious breach of the ministerial code. He also announced the removal of the Tory chairman from his position.
Who is Nadhim Zahawi?
Nadhim Zahawi is a former child refugee, who went on to come up with the best-known polling company in the UK.
Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Zahawi spent his early years growing up in an influential Kurdish family. Zahawi’s father was a well-known businessman while his grandfather was Central Bank of Iraq’s governor. In 1979, Saddam Hussein came to power and began to target the Kurds. So, his family decided to flee to the UK.
Zahawi arrived in the UK at the age of 11. He began his new life and studied at Holland Park School in London. He then went to study chemical engineering at University College London.
Zahawi set up a firm that sold Teletubbies merchandise, which was a “costly mistake”. Later, he co-founded polling company YouGov. In five years, it was on the stock market valued at £18 million.
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Zahawi arrived in the UK at the age of 11.
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