Rishi Sunak may learn the hard way that entitlement isn’t a good look

In the face of a cost-of-living crisis, the machinations of the rich and powerful in their apparent quest to quietly hoard wealth are not likely to go down well with voters, writes Harriet Williamson

Since the spring statement, Rishi Sunak’s popularity has taken a massive 24-point hit (PA)

“It feels like Partygate all over again,” a friend told me. Revelations about Rishi Sunak’s tax affairs seem, for those of us outside the Westminster bubble, a lot like another case of “one rule for them”.

Since the spring statement, Sunak’s popularity has taken a massive 24-point hit. Throughout the Downing Street party scandal, the chancellor was seen as the heir apparent, the strongest Tory contender to replace Boris Johnson, if a leadership contest came to pass. Now, Liz Truss has overtaken Sunak as the favourite to succeed the “greased piglet”, in David Cameron’s eternal words.

Last week, we learned that Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, was using non-dom status, which allowed her to avoid paying a potential £20m in UK tax. Sunak held a US green card for 19 months while chancellor, and The Independent revealed that he was listed as a beneficiary of tax haven trusts while setting taxes in the UK.

In a statement on Friday evening, Murty said: “I will now pay UK tax on an arising basis on all my worldwide income, including dividends and capital gains – wherever in the world that income arises.”

We are facing a very serious cost of living crisis that will see many people plunged into poverty, with all the misery, devastation and poor health outcomes that accompanies this. We are looking at the worst fall in living standards since the 1950s. The machinations of the rich and powerful in their apparent quest to quietly hoard wealth are not likely to go down well with voters.

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Perhaps Sunak is now kicking himself for not taking a stronger stance at the height of the Partygate furore. Tories are notoriously more willing to depose their leaders than their counterparts across the Commons, but the chancellor allowed his chance to pass by. Even if the scandal does gather speed again, with the publication of the full report by Sue Gray, Sunak’s golden opportunity has turned to dust.

With taxes being raised to their highest point in 70 years and a conspicuous lack of meaningful assistance for the very poorest, set against a backdrop of perceived entitlement and exceptionalism over his family tax arrangements, it is easy to see how Sunak’s image could be irretrievably tarnished.

As my colleague John Rentoul writes, “The author of Sunak’s disarray is Sunak himself.” Blame surely cannot be laid at the door of anyone but the chancellor.

Yours,

Harriet Williamson

Voices commissioning editor