Tomorrow's Business Today
Taxing Times – Zahawi has to go
As I write, Nadhim Zahawi is still clinging on as chairman of the Conservative Party.
If he toughs it out from here, that will be testament to considerable resilience in the face of public opposition. Perhaps it might show that Rishi Sunak is loyal. But at the moment it just feels like the PM is delaying the inevitable.
Zahawi is sticking to his position that his £5 million settlement with the taxman while he was chancellor of the exchequer was “careless and not deliberate”.
A brilliant take down of how Zahawi handled his affairs in The Times makes him seem far from careless.
His tax arrangements were anything but casual, even if they were entirely legal.
From a PR point of view, taxes are a nightmare subject for business people turned politicians.
Most of us don’t really get how our taxes work. We just know we have to pay them, or else. Any hint that others have loopholes we don’t is a cause of anger.
The public’s view is fairly clear.
For our Find Out Now poll this week we asked if the PM should dismiss Zahawi from the cabinet.
If you disregard those who “don’t know”, 81% say he must go.
That feeling is strong even among Conservative voters.
You can see the full results below.
Press release of the day
Bosses hoping to get staff back into the office five days a week better read this from IWG.
Almost two-thirds of HR professionals say they have seen talent turn down jobs if the flexible working options are not attractive enough.
More than nine in 10 HR people believe hybrid working leads to happier, more loyal employees.
