Aberdeen MP Kirsty Blackman says the UK Government is “riddled with sleaze and scandal” after Nadhim Zahawi was sacked for a “serious breach” of the ministerial code.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has written to Mr Zahawi saying he has been removed as chairman of the Conservative Party after an ethics inquiry into the handling of his tax affairs.
Now Ms Blackman, the SNP’s Cabinet Office spokeswoman, said the prime minister needs to answer further questions on how much he knew about the row.
‘Serious breach’
Mr Zahawi was being investigated by Sir Laurie Magnus, an independent advisor on ministers’ interests, following reports he had paid a penalty as part of an estimated £4.8 million settlement dispute with the HMRC.
The row was over a tax bill on the sale of shares in the polling firm YouGov, worth an estimated £27m.
These shares were held by Balshore Investments, a company registered offshore in Gibraltar and linked to Mr Zahawi’s family.
Mr Zahawi, who was briefly chancellor last year, said he had “acted properly throughout” and said HMRC concluded the error was “careless not deliberate”.
However Sir Laurie found Mr Zahawi had shown “insufficient regard for the genera principles of the ministerial code”.
The prime minister wrote to Mr Zahawi and said: “It is clear that there has been a serious breach of the ministerial code.
“As a result, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in His Majesty’s Government.”
He also paid tribute to Mr Zahawi’s contribute to the government and his role as vaccines minister during the coronavirus pandemic.
Blackman calls for Scottish independence
Now Kirsty Blackman, SNP MP for Aberdeen North, says the scandal is another reason Scotland needs to become independent.
She said: “Nadhim Zahawi should have been sacked well before now, but it has only been Rishi Sunak’s dithering and indecision that has kept him in post.
“The prime minister shouldn’t have needed an ethics advisor to tell him that a sitting chancellor should not be in a tax dispute about millions of pounds of unpaid taxes.”
She added: “Sunak still has questions to answer over this whole affair about what he knew about the settlement and what advice he received about Zahawi’s tax on his appointment.
“The UK Government is riddled with sleaze and scandal and the only way Scotland can escape is by becoming an independent country.”