London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Aug 26, 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
Turnbull Warns AUKUS Could Leave Australia Without Promised Nuclear Submarines
California Billionaires Pour More Than $150 Million Into Fight Over Proposed Wealth Tax
German Broadcaster Goes Dark to Warn AfD Could End Its Saxony-Anhalt Service
Badenoch Plans Major Shadow Cabinet Reshuffle as Tories Struggle in Third Place
UK Government Demands Action Against Social Media Content Promoting Dangerous Driving
Labour Backbenchers Prepare Push for Electoral Reform Under Andy Burnham
Fire at Gatwick Airport Car Park Destroys 140 Vehicles and Cuts Local Power
UK Plans Voluntary Libido-Suppressing Medication Programme Across 20 Prisons
NHS England Launches Free Home Cervical Cancer Testing Kits Nationwide
Imperial College Study Warns North Sea Oil Projects Could Cause Hundreds of Billions of Pounds in Climate Damage
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Middle East Conflict Pushes Up Energy Costs
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Visits Kyiv to Strengthen UK Support for Ukraine
Premier League Season Opens With Managerial Debuts and Dramatic Early Fixtures
England Cricket Drops Brydon Carse From Selection Pending Club Investigation
Graeme Dott Convicted of Child Sexual Abuse Offences in Scotland
Protesters Occupy British Aircraft Parts Factory Over Alleged Military Links to Israel
More Than 100 Former British and French Diplomats Call for Sanctions on Israel
Ipsos Poll Shows British Public Split Between Immigration Controls and Economic Growth
British Cybersecurity Agencies Raise Alert Over Growing Threats to Critical Infrastructure
Two-Thirds of England Now Under Official Drought Conditions After Prolonged Summer Heat
Institute of Directors Calls for Urgent Action to Revive Britain’s Stagnant Labour Market
Andy Burnham Visits Kyiv on First Foreign Trip and Pledges Continued British Support for Ukraine
New Daily Diabetes and Weight-Loss Pill Launches in UK Pharmacies
UK Payroll Employment Falls by 94,000 as Labour Market Cools
Onshore Wind Planning Applications in England Reach Ten-Year High After Rules Eased
UK Government Demands Social Media Platforms Remove Dangerous Driving Content After A66 Crash
Thames Water Creditors Face Backlash Over Proposed Corporate Restructuring
Twelve Arrested After Fatal A66 Crash Linked to Organised Crime Investigation
UK Household Energy Debt Could Reach £7 Billion by Year-End
UK Defence Ministry to Use Ukraine Battlefield Data to Train AI Security Systems
UK Government Redirects £4 Billion of Affordable Homes Funding Away From Social Housing
UK Government Borrowing Reaches £1.8 Billion in July, Exceeding Forecasts
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Advanced Missile Support for Ukraine
8Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Middle East Energy Risks Rise
Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Give Ukraine Classified Storm Shadow Blueprints for Domestic Missile Production
UK Graduate Job Vacancies Plunge 45% to Lowest Levels on Record
Government Audit Reveals Pressure on UK Hospitality From Business Rates and Rising Costs
Kindertransport Survivor Prepares to Revisit European Sites Linked to Her Family’s Wartime Separation
Northern England Transport Operators Strengthen Contingency Plans as Travel Demand Rises
New Implant Trials Offer Treatment Prospects for Patients With Refractory Angina
South Wales Reviews Wildfire Response After Exceptionally Dry Summer
UK Treasury Prepares Autumn Fiscal Statement Amid Spending and Defense Pressures
Norfolk Records First Wild Beaver Births in More Than Five Hundred Years
Historic Portrait of Benjamin Disraeli Reported Missing From Parliament’s Art Collection
Five People, Including Police Officers, Killed in A66 Crash as Families Pay Tribute
Most English Secondary Schools Found to Fall Short of National Healthy Food Standards
UK Think Tank Says Productivity Growth May Be Stronger Than Official Data Shows
Reform Party Proposes Lower Social Housing Priority for Foreign-Born UK Citizens
UK Government Plans Business Rate Overhaul to Ease Pressure on Pubs and Hotels
New Daily Diabetes and Weight-Loss Pill Launches Across NHS Pharmacies in England
×