British Govt’s Ethics Advisor Clears Finance Minister Rishi Sunak of Breach

UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. 

(Photo: Twitter/Rishi Sunak)

The British government's ethics advisor said on Wednesday, 27 April, that he had cleared finance minister Rishi Sunak of breaching ministerial codes after investigating his family's tax affairs.

A controversy erupted after Sunak's wife Akshata Murthy claimed a non-domicile status, which permits her not to pay taxes from her earnings outside the UK.

The embattled Cabinet minister was also slapped with a fine for being allegedly involved in parties held at 10 Downing Street amid COVID-19 restrictions in the country.

Sunak, the country's Chancellor of the Exchequer, earlier this month had asked the adviser on ministerial standards, Christopher Geidt, to review whether he followed all the rules after revelations about his family's financial affairs stoked political controversy.

Geidt wrote, "I advise that the requirements of the ministerial code have been adhered to by the Chancellor, and that he has been assiduous in meeting his obligations and in engaging with this investigation."

He also ruled that there was no conflict of interest in Sunak holding a US permanent resident Green Card, which he has since given up.

The 41-year-old minister, who until a few weeks ago was seen as Boris Johnson's likely successor as Britain's prime minister, has been severely criticised of late, including by some Conservative party members.

While Sunak and Murty, whose father co-founded the Indian IT behemoth Infosys, had earlier claimed that she was a victim of a smear campaign, the couple U-turned and vowed that she would pay British taxes on all her global income, PTI reported.

This led to Sunak being accused of hypocrisy for raising taxes for Britons amid a cost-of-living crisis, while his own family has seen millions of pounds in Infosys dividends shielded from his own ministry.