Rishi Sunak vows to crack down on sleaze and restore ‘integrity’ after Zahawi sacking

PM promises to take ‘whatever steps are necessary’ – as Labour accuses Tories of ‘drowning in sleaze’

Rishi Sunak has vowed to crack down on sleaze in government and restore “integrity” after he sacked Nadhim Zahawi over his tax affairs.

The PM said he had made a “quick decision” to fire the Tory chairman after his ethics adviser found “serious” violations of the ministerial code, more than six months after The Independent revealed an HMRC investigation.

Speaking at NHS hospital in County Durham, Mr Sunak said he had acted “pretty decisively” by ordering Sir Laurie Magnus’ probe after it emerged Mr Zahawi had paid a £1m penalty to HMRC.