London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 16, 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
Police Tighten Public-Order Measures After Anti-Immigration Protests in Dover and Portsmouth
UK Ministers Pressed for Answers After US Diplomat Accused of Child Abuse Images Leaves Britain
Jaguar Land Rover Pursues NATO Defense Contracts for Defender Vehicles
British Service Member Dies in Road Accident While Deployed in Ukraine
George Osborne Calls for Britain to Rejoin EU Customs Union
Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei Urges Faster UK Action on Advanced AI Risks
UK State Pension Set for 3.9% Rise Under Triple Lock
UK Labour Market Cools as Payrolled Employment Continues to Decline
Reform UK’s £72 Million in Donations Faces Scrutiny Under Proposed Retrospective Funding Rules
UK Doctors Warn Expanded Pharmacy First Scheme Could Put Patients at Risk
British Airlines Cut Short-Haul Capacity as Jet Fuel Costs Rise
UK News Publishers Forecast 40% Search Traffic Drop as AI Overviews Expand
Axel Springer Wins Approval for £575 Million Daily Telegraph Acquisition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Opposes Heathrow Third Runway Over Climate Targets
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Summit Seeking Greater Autonomy
UK Energy Price Cap Set to Rise to £1,723 in October
UK Treasury Warns Middle East Conflict Is Threatening Economic Growth
Labour Moves to Retrospectively Cap Overseas Political Donations After Reform UK Funding Surge
HMRC Warns Nearly Seven Million Adults Are Unclear About State Pension Entitlements
UK Parliament Passes Sovereign Grant Reform Before Conference Recess
British Rail Passengers Gain Automatic Right to Switch Operators During Disruptions
Burnham Hosts Downing Street Business Summit as UK Fiscal Pressure Builds
Labour Government Moves to Challenge £72 Million in Reform UK Crypto Donations
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
UK Parliament Considers Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
Trades Union Congress Calls for Income-Based Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Levy
UK Prime Minister Rejects Second Scottish Independence Referendum
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Bill to Lower UK Voting Age to 16
Anthropic Says Claude Was Exploited in Weapons-Related and State-Linked Cyber Activity
Institute of Directors Urges UK Government to Avoid Business Tax Increases in Autumn Budget
Rising Gilt Yields Cut UK Fiscal Headroom to About £13 Billion Ahead of Budget
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record Amid Severe Heatwaves
Harrods Faces Potential £150 Million Compensation Bill Over Al Fayed Abuse Claims
UK Parliament Opens Debate on Landmark Assisted Dying Legislation
Metropolitan Police Investigate Reform UK Over Alleged Foreign Electoral Donations
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in July as AI Investment Boosts Activity
Bank of England Signals Caution on Rates as Inflation Pressures Persist
Tesco Alerts Police After Scammers Use Its Branding in AI-Generated Fraud
Lindy Cameron Appointed First Female Permanent Under-Secretary at UK Foreign Office
UK Government to Rewrite Student Loan Guidance After Mis-Selling Criticism
Welsh First Minister Warns Andy Burnham Government to Respect Devolution
Trump’s Falkland Islands Remarks Trigger New Diplomatic Tension With Britain
Reform UK Receives Record £72 Million Donation From Cryptocurrency Billionaires
UK Bans Imports From Israeli West Bank Settlements and Sanctions Supporting Institutions
×