The chancellor has asked for a review in order to provide ‘clarity’ about the situation
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing an investigation into his financial interests as questions continue to swirl over how transparent he has been about his personal wealth.
In recent days there have been a number of revelations about Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty’s financial affairs, including that Murty holds non-domicile status and that they both held US green cards.
On Sunday night, the Chancellor wrote to Boris Johnson to ask for an independent review into all the formal statements he has made about his finances since he became a minister in 2018.
In a post on Twitter, Sunak said that he had asked the Prime Minister to refer his “ministerial declarations to the Independent Advisor on Ministers’ Interests.”
He added that he believes he has “always followed the rules” and hopes a review will “provide further clarity.”
He maintained that he has always fully disclosed his financial affairs to the required civil servants.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Sunak said: “My overriding concern is that the public retain confidence in the answers they are given and I believe the best way of achieving this is to ensure those answers are entirely independent, without bias or favour. To that end I would recommend that Lord Geidt makes all his conclusions public.
“I am confident that such a review of my declarations will find all relevant information was appropriately declared. I have throughout my ministerial career followed the advice of officials regarding matters of propriety and disclosure and will continue to do so.”
Today I have written to the Prime Minister asking him to refer my ministerial declarations to the Independent Advisor on Ministers’ Interests.
I have always followed the rules and I hope such a review will provide further clarity. pic.twitter.com/JjVRDFJELl
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 10, 2022
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has also written to the PM, highlighting what Labour believes to be a number of “potential breaches of the Ministerial Code by the Chancellor.”
She said that the public “deserve answers.”
1/5 pic.twitter.com/lmwvI0g2Jp
— Angela Rayner 🌹 (@AngelaRayner) April 11, 2022
Murty’s non-dom status meant she didn’t have to pay tax on her earnings outside the UK, which saw her avoid an estimated £2.1m a year in UK tax according to the BBC.
However, since the revelations she has announced that she will pay UK taxes on her overseas income.
By retaining a green card, Sunak is entitled to permanent residence in the US and is able to file a tax return there.
Speaking to Sky News, Policing minister Kit Malthouse said that the Chancellor’s green card was a “hangover” from his time in America, but that he recognised the situation had “offended against a British sense of fair play.”
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