Senior UK Conservatives under fire over tax, finances

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called an investigation into allegations the chairman of the governing Conservative Party settled a multimillion-dollar unpaid tax bill while he was in charge of the country’s Treasury. It’s one of multiple stories about secret loans and unpaid taxes causing discomfort for Sunak. The prime minister has faced scrutiny for his own personal wealth and family tax arrangements. Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi has acknowledged a dispute with tax authorities over shares in polling company YouGov that he co-founded. But he said the error was “careless and not deliberate.” The BBC and other British media reported that the tax bill that included a fine came to almost 5 million pounds ($6.2 million).