UK TREND: Former chancellor Zahawi under fire for tax evasion
Nadhim Zahawi, a former chancellor, reportedly agreed to pay the HMRC several million pounds in tax after The Independent first reported on an investigation into his financial affairs last year.
Since the news of his tax evasion broke, the hashtag #Nadhim Zahawi has been trending on social media. Politicians, social media activists, and members of the public have all expressed their annoyance on twitter at how he even managed to avoid it and how this is additional proof that the conservative government cannot be trusted. (Ambien)
Former chancellor Zahawi
The public was appalled by what happened and the way the situation was handled. Along with the hashtag #ToryCorruption, Paul Birch tweeted that “the Nadhim Zahawi situation and the general approach to tax by members of the Tory party only demonstrates their lack of integrity and how they think tax is for the poor and they can just avoid it.”
Another individual highlighted that although “he will now be paying what he owes in tax avoidance” , he will not be paying “ the cost of the 6-month investigation by HMRC and the NCA or face criminal charges “. Thus, illustrating the difference in treatment for the public and for the conservative party members.
Furthermore, people were outraged at British media outlets like the BBC for failing to cover “the news about Nadhim Zahawi’s tax evasion and repayment,” proving that the media is controlled by upper class conservatives who only want to protect and support their biased opinions. It was emphasised that “this would’ve been a career ending scandal” if this had happened to another public figure who was not a member of the conservative party.
An old tweet from Zahawi that was shared on Twitter stated that “the conservative government is struggling to deal with tax avoidance and have introduced new laws to tackle this issue.” His tweet was ironic in light of the recent investigation into and conviction for his own tax avoidance.
Tax evasion
The Blade of the Sun Twitter account stated that Boris Jonson was aware of Zahawi’s history of tax evasion when he appointed him Chancellor of the Exchequer.
According to reports, before Zahawi was appointed, members of the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team informed Johnson that Zahawi had a “flag” over him from HM Revenue and Customs.
Johnson nonetheless chose to appoint him despite any potential tax-related concerns.
https://twitter.com/BladeoftheS/status/1614774103646273536?s=20&t=HV-BYm0srR93IOXm8JlboQ
Labour member of parliament Anneliese Dodds shared the news and commented that “ this raises serious questions for Nadhim Zahawi and the Prime Minster with regards to their integrity”.
“This is another nail in the coffin of the honesty, integrity, and accountability promised by Rishi Sunak,” said Anneliese Dodd’s, chair of the Labour Party. People are sick to death of this government’s constant sleaze and scandal.
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