Politics

BBC silence on Nadhim Zahawi tax probe ‘deafening’

Critics have hit out at the BBC after the national broadcaster dismissed a story about Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs.

The former Conservative chancellor is believed to have agreed to pay HMRC several million pounds in tax following an investigation into his financial affairs.

Zahawi, now the Tory chair, has agreed to pay a seven-figure sum to settle the tax dispute.

It comes after an Independent investigation found he was being investigated by several government bodies, including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

A spokesperson for Zahawi did not deny that the tax bill amounted to several million pounds, and said: “As he has previously stated, Mr Zahawi’s taxes are properly declared and paid in the UK. He is proud to have built a British business that has become successful around the world.”

The senior Tory claimed to be the victim of a “smear” campaign after details of the tax investigation were revealed, but vowed to “answer any questions that HMRC has of me”.

Reacting to the news on social media, several people hit out at the BBC for not reporting on the story.

Here’s what people had to say:

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Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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