Rishi Sunak must not neglect Yorkshire constituents as row over wife Akshata Murty's tax affairs rumbles on - The Yorkshire Post says

That the man tasked with running the finances of the whole country is embroiled in a political row over the financial affairs of his family will not have gone unnoticed by the thousands of people struggling to make ends meet during a cost of living crisis.

Rishi Sunak has come under intense scrutiny after the revelation of his wife Akshata Murty’s non-domiciled status, which means she is not required to pay UK taxes on income derived from outside of the country.

Though Ms Murty, who remains an Indian citizen, later announced she will now do so “because I want to, not because the rules require me to”, claiming she did not want her tax status to be a “distraction” for her husband, it has been estimated that her non-dom status could have saved her £20m in taxes on dividends from her shares in Infosys, an Indian IT company founded by her father.

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Wife Akshata Murty's tax issue damaging for Chancellor Rishi Sunak - The Yorkshi...
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the Conservative MP for Richmond. Picture: PA/Aaron ChownChancellor Rishi Sunak is the Conservative MP for Richmond. Picture: PA/Aaron Chown
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the Conservative MP for Richmond. Picture: PA/Aaron Chown
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Though perfectly legal, it is not a good look. Almost certainly, the news will come as a bitter pill to swallow for thousands of worried households up and down the country at a moment when the Chancellor has increased National Insurance and the cost of living is going up.

Among those feeling the strain, include, of course, members of Mr Sunak’s own Richmond constituency in rural North Yorkshire. Mr Sunak must not neglect their interests and concerns as the row rumbles on.

Mr Sunak has ordered a Whitehall inquiry into who leaked the details of his wife’s tax status to the media. Meanwhile, Labour continues to press for the Chancellor to ‘come clean’ about his family’s tax affairs.