London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 05, 2026

Chris Mason: Trio of incidents pose big questions for Rishi Sunak

Chris Mason: Trio of incidents pose big questions for Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak's trio of promises on becoming prime minister have just careered into a trio of incidents that pose him big questions.

Back in October, moments before he went into Downing Street for the first time as prime minister, he promised: "this government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level."

Now he confronts three issues testing those promises: the seat belt, the BBC Chairman and the taxman.

Let's take each in turn:

Not wearing a seatbelt and getting fined for it.

No prime minister wants a reputation for harbouring a stash of fixed penalty notices gathered while in office.

The one the other day was his second after his one during the pandemic as chancellor.

Then there are the cases of the two chairmen: the BBC Chairman and the Conservative Party Chairman.

Both, to varying degrees, amounts to the exhaust fumes of the Boris Johnson era - Richard Sharp's appointment entirely so, even if the revelations in the Sunday Times prompt questions for the government now.

Nadhim Zahawi faced criticism over his tax payments

But Nadhim Zahawi presents Rishi Sunak with a live and present case - and the decision he faces is simple: sack him, or keep him?

The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in his interview with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday amounted to him saying "search me guv, I haven't the foggiest" when he was pressed for any detail about Mr Zahawi's taxes.

It meant Mr Cleverly did not personally commit himself to saying anything that could amounts to a hostage to fortune.

But it also meant plenty of big questions remain unanswered about the claims, which were first reported in the Guardian last week.

We now have some answers, but there is plenty we still do not know.

In practical terms it seems difficult to see how Mr Zahawi can fulfil the public role of party chairman with all this still swirling.
Boris Johnson faces claims over his appointment of Richard Sharp as BBC Chairman when he was prime minister


He is determined to, but that is different from actually being able to do so.

For as long as he ducks the questions in public, they will perch upon his shoulder.

And as and when he does choose to answer them, it is likely to be uncomfortable for him, and the answers might not be politically palatable to many.

Meanwhile, all these things are oxygen snatchers for Rishi Sunak: attention and credibility grabbers when he would much rather be talking about the health service, for instance, a topic he will attempt to turn to this week.

But instead the prime minister will face questions grounded in that initial promise when he took office: the extent to which his government has integrity, professionalism and accountability.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BT Accused of Pressuring Vulnerable Customers During Digital Landline Shift
British Carmakers Warn of Growing Pressure From EU-China Tariff Dispute
Green Party of England and Wales Adopts Motion Defining Zionism as Racism
Medical Charity Threatens NHS Legal Action Over Two-Year Autism and ADHD Assessment Waits
British Transport Police Report Record Rise in Violence on Railways
Glasgow Council Workers Face Pay Cuts Under Fire-and-Rehire Plan
British Medical Groups Press Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Cancel £330 Million Palantir NHS Contract
UK Faces Record Bluetongue Outbreak Across Livestock Farms
UK Schools Report Thousands of Child-on-Child Sexual Offences
High Court Overturns Ban Blocking Gaza Families From Reuniting With Relatives in UK
G7 Authorizes Emergency Fuel Release as UK Diesel Prices Hit £2 a Litre
France and Italy Draw 1-1 in Nations League Match
Pope Leo XIV and Prince Albert II of Monaco Meet in Metz
SNCF Expands Low-Cost Ouigo High-Speed Service Between Lyon and Bordeaux
Paris Expands Dedicated Cargo Bike Routes for Urban Deliveries
French Film Industry Pushes for Tighter Streaming Investment Rules
Marseille Court Hands Down Prison Terms in Public Procurement Corruption Case
LVMH and Kering Rely on US Demand as Chinese Luxury Spending Slows
Toulouse Aerospace Sector Launches €80 Million Modernization Fund
Javier Milei Courts French Investment in LNG and Lithium
Mistral AI Launches Sovereign Model for European Public Services
French Competition Authority Fines Retailers €40 Million Over Misleading Promotions
France Records Exceptional Electricity Exports as Nuclear Output Recovers
Dassault Aviation Expands Rafale Assembly Capacity at Mérignac
Sanofi Invests €1 Billion in New Biologics Production Hub Near Lyon
France Protests Germany’s Extension of Border Controls Into 2027
French Public-Sector and Transport Unions Threaten National Strike
France Deploys Riot Police After Violence in Lyon Suburbs
French Anti-Terrorism Prosecutors Investigate Radicalized Flydubai Co-Pilot
France’s Defense Budget Surpasses NATO’s 2% of GDP Target
French Government Faces No-Confidence Threat Over Budget
France and G7 Release 100 Million Barrels From Strategic Oil Reserves
France Convenes Emergency Defense Council Over Threats to Commercial Shipping
France and Germany Coordinate Military Response After Russian Strikes on Kyiv Infrastructure
UK Police Release Six Iranian Nationals on Bail After RAF Fairford Security Alert
UK Business Confidence Falls as Energy Costs and Tax Uncertainty Rise
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Rise 16% in January
UK Introduces Zero VAT on Household Electricity Bills
UK 30-Year Gilt Yield Hits 6% as Bond Market Pressures Intensify
UK Introduces Stricter Subcontractor Checks and Expanded Trade Union Access
Green Party Proposes Three-Year Emergency Freeze on Private Rent Increases
UK Treasury Committee Seeks Tax Clarification Over Manchester City Investigation
Royal Marines Deploy to Faroe Islands for Northern European Security Exercise
UK Business Confidence Weakens as High Costs Delay Investment
UK GDP Growth Revised Up to 0.5% in Second Quarter
Bank of England Warns of Financial Stability Risks From Autonomous AI
UK Expands Early Prisoner Release Scheme to Ease Overcrowding
UK Records Worst Bluetongue Outbreak on Record Across Livestock Farms
UK Government Faces Shrinking Fiscal Headroom Ahead of October 28 Budget
UK 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 6% as Energy Shock Drives Borrowing Costs Higher
×