James Cleverly says tax affairs of ministers should be kept ‘private’
The foreign secretary told the BBC: 'Well, I think it's right and proper that people's tax affairs are personal and private.'
James Cleverly has said it is ‘right and proper’ that politicians’ tax affairs should be kept out of the public eye.
The foreign secretary said if people want politicians to be ‘more like the rest of us’, the same should apply to keeping their finances private.
He was speaking to Laura Kuenssberg after the Conservative party chairman Nadhim Zahawi released a statement yesterday to address questions about his taxes.
It was claimed Mr Zahawi, who was chancellor for two months last year, had to pay an estimated £1.1 million penalty and £3.7 million in back tax due to an ‘error’ relating to shares in YouGov, the polling company he co-founded.
Mr Cleverly told the BBC: ‘Well, I think it’s right and proper that people’s tax affairs are personal and private.’
He added: ‘We keep hearing that we want politicians to be more like the rest of us and less to be a kind of strange and unique beast.
‘So, I think that, you know, the rules that we apply to others, I think it is legitimate to also apply to politicians.
‘That is why, as I say, we don’t demand it of others and if politicians choose to do so, that’s great.
‘But I think having a unique requirement that is different to the rest of society, I don’t think that would necessarily be the best way forward.’
In an earlier interview with Sky’s Sophy Ridge, Mr Cleverly evaded questions on whether Mr Zahawi had negotiated the tax settlement with HMRC while he was chancellor.
He said: ‘I don’t know any more detail than is in his public statement.’
Mr Cleverly was also asked about reports that Tory donor Richard Sharp helped Boris Johnson arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to £800,000 weeks before the then-prime minister recommended him for the role of BBC chair.
He said: ‘Well, I’ve not had a conversation with either of those parties about that, about that situation.
‘I have met with Richard, we discussed the (BBC) World Service, he struck me as an incredibly competent, experienced, thoughtful individual.
‘I can see exactly why he has the attributes, both personal, professional, to be the chair of the BBC.
‘So, as far as I can see, his appointment was made on those merits.’
He added: ‘We’ve had senior people in the BBC who have political affiliations, most people have political affiliations, a number of them are active, so it’s not at all unusual to have individuals in the senior levels of the BBC.’
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