PMQs: Sir Keir Starmer attacks ‘hopelessly weak’ Rishi Sunak for failing to sack Nadhim Zahawi

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2023

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Sir Keir Starmer has suggested the job of prime minister is “too big” for a “hopelessly weak” Rishi Sunak as he attacked him for failing to sack Nadhim Zahawi.

At PMQs, the Labour leader asked if “any politician who seeks to avoid taxes they owe in the country is not fit to be in charge” of the UK finances – a reference to Mr Zahawi settling a seven-figure sum with HMRC, including a penalty, while he was chancellor.

“We all know why the prime minister was reluctant to ask his party chair questions about family finances and tax avoidance,” Sir Keir said – an apparent dig at the PM’s own tax affairs previously coming under scrutiny.

Politics live: Some Tories say ‘game over’ for Zahawi

“But his failure to sack him when the whole country can see what’s going on shows how hopelessly weak he is – a prime minister overseeing chaos, overwhelmed at every turn.”

Referencing problems with public services, Sir Keir added: “He can’t say when ambulances will get to heart attack victims again. He can’t say when the prisons system will keep streets safe again. He can’t even deal with tax avoiders in his own cabinet.

“Is he starting to wonder if this job is just too big for him?”

Mr Sunak accused Sir Keir of being a “hypocrite” for seeking to get him to sack his colleague rather than abide by the due process of the parliamentary investigation into Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs, which he said Labour had called for.

The PM said: “Of course, the politically expedient thing to do would be for me to have said that this matter must be resolved by Wednesday at noon.

“But I believe in proper due process.”

Mr Sunak added that he did not know about the investigation into Mr Zahawi’s taxes when he appointed him to his cabinet in October.

On Sir Keir’s attack line he said: “It’s simple political opportunism and everyone can see through it.”

Questions have swirled around Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs since the summer when claims emerged that he was being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office, the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue & Customs, accusations he deemed a “smear”.

The issue made headlines 10 days ago after The Sun on Sunday published an article claiming he had paid a seven-figure sum to the tax office to settle a dispute over the sale of his YouGov shares.

After a week of saying nothing more than his taxes “were and are fully up to date and are paid in the UK” – and publicly receiving the backing of Mr Sunak in last week’s PMQs – Mr Zahawi released a statement saying he had paid what HMRC said “was due” after it “disagreed about the exact allocation” of the shares.

The Tory chairman said this was a “careless and not a deliberate error” and did not confirm if any penalty was also levied. But Sky News understands that as part of the settlement with HMRC – thought to be around £4.8m – the chairman paid a penalty.

Zahawi ‘100% not resigning’

Mr Sunak has now asked his ethics adviser to carry out an inquiry into whether Mr Zahawi breached the ministerial code, and the investigation could extend into his prior tax arrangements and whether he lied to the media.

Speaking after PMQs, a Downing Street spokesperson said Mr Sunak still has full confidence in the senior Tory MP, who will be travelling to Chequers tomorrow for cabinet meetings.

They would not confirm if Mr Sunak would sack Mr Zahawi if he is found to have lied, saying they would not get into hypotheticals.

A source close to the former chancellor has told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby he “100% is not resigning”.

In a statement on Monday, following the PM’s announcement of an investigation into the matter, Mr Zahawi said: “I am confident I acted properly throughout and look forward to answering any and all specific questions in a formal setting to Sir Laurie.”

World

Air India confirms 241 dead after plane crash – with one Briton surviving

Published

1 hour ago

June 13, 2025

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Air India confirms 241 dead after plane crash - with one Briton surviving

Air India has confirmed that 241 people on board a flight to London Gatwick have died after the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off – with just one person surviving.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was carrying 53 Britons, crashed into a doctors’ hostel in a residential area moments after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, in western India.

India plane crash latest: Follow live updates

Air India has said 229 passengers and 12 crew died. Authorities have not confirmed how many people on the ground were killed or injured.

The airline said it “offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased”.

“Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones,” the statement continued.

The sole survivor is British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was travelling on the flight with his brother.

He told the Hindustan Times newspaper he heard a “loud noise” around 30 seconds after take-off before the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down.

“It all happened so quickly,” he said, adding that he suffered “impact injuries” to his chest, eyes and feet. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran.”

The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Gloucester Muslim Community said Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their four-year-old daughter Sara had died in the crash.

They said: “No words can truly ease the pain of such a profound loss, but we pray that the family may find solace in the tremendous outpouring of compassion and solidarity from communities across the world.”

Also on the flight were married couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek from west London. They had posted a video from the airport on their Instagram feed shortly before boarding.

Videos show the aircraft, which departed from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick at 1.38pm local time, struggling to gain altitude in the seconds after taking off.

It then begins to descend and a fireball can be seen as the plane crashes, with massive plumes of thick black smoke rising into the sky.

Other images show the aircraft’s tail after it crashed into the roof of the BJ Medical College Hostel in the Meghaninagar area.

Tata Sons, which owns the airline, said it will give around £86,000 to the families of each person who died, cover the medical expenses of those injured, and provide support to rebuild the medical hostel.

Ahmedabad airport said the plane crashed “shortly after take-off, outside the airport”. Flights were suspended until shortly after 4pm local time.

In a statement, London Gatwick said the flight was due to land at 6.25pm UK time on Thursday and a reception centre for relatives of those on board was set up where information and support will be provided.

Flight tracking website Flightradar said a signal was last received from the aircraft less than a minute after take-off.

It is the first ever crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

The model, a widebody, twin-engine plane, has made five million journeys in the 14 years since its first passenger flight.

Sir Keir Starmer said the scenes emerging were “devastating”. He added: “Our hearts and our thoughts are absolutely with the friends and families of all of those affected.”

The prime minister said the British government is in “constant contact” with the Indian authorities and has dispatched an investigation team of its own.

The King said he and the Queen were “desperately shocked by the terrible events” in a post on X.

“Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones,” he said.

The foreign office said the UK is “working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved”.

British nationals who require consular assistance are advised to call 020 7008 5000, while Air India has set up hotlines to provide information on 1800 5691 444 for those calling within India and +91 806 2779 200 for foreign nationals.

India’s prime minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us.

“It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

India’s worst aviation tragedy in decades

It’s the worst aviation tragedy the country has seen in decades, writes Sky News India correspondent Neville Lazarus.

The images of the aircraft plunging to the ground into a fireball and the horizon filled with black smoke will haunt the nation for a very long time.

Some 242 passengers, including children and 12 crew members, were on the ill-fated flight.

The aircraft, which lost altitude soon after take-off, crashed into residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area.

Images of parts of the plane can be seen hanging precariously on the building of the hostel, having caused severe damage.

A large number of residents are feared dead in the speciality doctors’ buildings, which have 94 flats and about 200 people living in them.

The nation is in shock as bodies, some beyond recognition, are being brought into hospitals across the city. There are many injured and some in critical condition.

India’s civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “shocked and devastated” to learn about the crash.

“We are on highest alert,” he said. “I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.

“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site.”

Aviation expert Julian Bray told Sky News he understands the pilot managed to make a mayday call, meaning the crew was aware of a problem before the crash.

Air India was acquired by Tata Group from the Indian government in January 2022 after racking up billions of pounds of losses.

The group now operates more than 8,300 weekly flights on 312 routes, connecting more than 100 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of 300 aircraft.

The airline’s chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the incident as a “tragic accident” and a “devastating event” and said emergency response teams were at the site.

“At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families,” he said.

“We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.”

A Boeing spokesperson said: “We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.”

World

What you need to know as Israel launches strikes against Iran

Published

3 hours ago

June 13, 2025

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What you need to know as Israel launches strikes against Iran

Israel has launched a major attack on Iran and declared a state of emergency over retaliation fears.

The operation, called “Rising Lion”, killed a number of Iranian commanders, scientists and the head of the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, according to Iranian state media.

Iran launched more than 100 drones towards Israel after the country vowed retaliation, an Israeli military spokesperson said.

Israel-Iran live: Follow the latest updates

Here is what we know so far.

What has happened?

Shortly after 1am UK time on Friday, Israel launched what it called “pre-emptive strikes” against targets in Iran.

Explosions were heard in Iran’s capital, Tehran, while Iranian state TV broadcast footage of blown-out walls, burning roofs and shattered windows in residential buildings across the city.

It reported that blasts had set the Revolutionary Guard’s headquarters on fire.

Bracing for retaliation, Israel closed its airspace and said it was calling up tens of thousands of soldiers to protect the country’s borders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation “will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat”.

As a result of the strikes, flights around the Middle East are being cancelled, with passengers in Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Iran and Dubai facing delays.

Where and who was targeted?

In a video announcing the military operation, Mr Netanyahu said the strikes hit Iran’s main nuclear enrichment site, the Natanz atomic facility, and targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists.

He said Israel had also targeted Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.

The international atomic watchdog (IAEA) said it is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels after the Natanz facility – which is in the central Isfahan province – was targeted.

The head of the country’s Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, has been killed, along with Major General Gholam Ali Rashid.

Six nuclear scientists have also been killed, according to Iranian state media.

Nuclear scientist Fereydoun Abbasi and theoretical physicist Dr Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi have been named as among the dead by Mehr News.

Why has Israel launched strikes now?

The attack comes amid rising international fears over Iran’s nuclear programme, with the UN watchdog warning earlier this week that the country is breaking its obligations for the first time in 20 years.

Israel and the US have long feared Iran is plotting to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has repeatedly denied this and insists its programme is for civilian purposes – to generate energy.

Mr Netanyahu claimed on Friday that if Iran wasn’t stopped, “it could produce a nuclear weapon within a very short time”.

He went further to claim Iran had in recent years developed enough highly-enriched uranium for “nine atom bombs”.

US and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran’s escalating uranium enrichment programme in Oman on Sunday.

Israel previously launched strikes on Iran in October 2024.

Sky News’ Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said last year’s strikes eliminated much of Iran’s air defences, giving the Israeli air force some freedom of movement in Iran’s skies.

But Iran has been rebuilding those defences, Bunkall adds, so Israel’s window to operate was closing.

Has Iran responded?

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, warned of “severe punishment”, claiming Israel targeted “residential areas”.

“In the enemy’s attacks, a number of commanders and scientists were martyred. Their successors and colleagues will immediately continue their duties,” he said in a statement reported by the Tasnim news agency.

Hours after Israeli strikes, Iran launched more than 100 drones in retaliation, an IDF spokesperson said.

The IDF confirmed Israel has begun intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) which it said had been fired from Iran.

How has the world reacted?

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that America was not involved in the attack and warned Iran not to retaliate against American interests in the region.

Mr Rubio added that America believes the strikes are necessary for Israel’s self defence.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has urged “all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently”.

Read analysis from Sky correspondents:
If the Persian Gulf becomes a battlefield, we will all feel the consequences
The consequences for the region could be massive

The UK is not currently helping to defend Israel from Iranian drone attacks, Sky News’ security and defence editor, Deborah Haynes, said.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said it is paying close attention to Israeli attacks on Iran and has called on the relevant
parties to act in ways that will lead to regional peace and stability.

In the Middle East, the UAE condemned Israel’s strikes against Iran “in the strongest terms” and expressed “deep concern” over the repercussions on regional security.

While neighbouring Qatar called Israel’s attack a “flagrant violation” of Iran’s sovereignty and security.

World

Israel-Iran conflict: If the Persian Gulf becomes a battlefield, we will all feel the consequences

Published

4 hours ago

June 13, 2025

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Israel-Iran conflict: If the Persian Gulf becomes a battlefield, we will all feel the consequences

Israel has finally hit Iran’s nuclear facilities. What happens next and how bad could it get?

Israel first.

Israelis have always regarded Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat.

Israel-Iran latest: Iran retaliates against airstrikes

The ayatollahs insist their nuclear programme is entirely peaceful, but their leaders have also talked of wiping Israel off the face of the Earth, and that threat has been taken at face value by Israelis.

Benjamin Netanyahu clearly thinks this is the time to act for a number of reasons.

Iran has never been weaker internally after nationwide protests a few years ago, and Israel has massively degraded its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas. And they have a sympathetic president in the White House.

Israel may have plenty on its plate in Gaza and southern Lebanon still, but that is not holding its leaders back from seizing the moment.

Critics might also wonder whether this is a distraction from the growing diplomatic isolation of Israel over Gaza.

Britain has just taken the unprecedented step of sanctioning two Israeli government ministers. France is thought to be poised to recognise Palestine as an independent state.

Whatever the reasons, Israel will try to finish what it’s started.

Equally, Iran will do what it can to stop Israel’s attacks. Doing nothing or not enough looks weak, and in the Middle East that is dangerous. But how?

Missile and drone attacks on Israel seem certain, but possibly against US assets and allies too.

The Trump administration may have tried to distance itself from the Israeli operation. But Iran won’t believe that.

For Iranians, America and Israel are inextricably linked as part of the same evil.

The big fear is Iran starts striking targets in the Persian Gulf.

Enough tankers being sunk or oil refineries going up in smoke could have an immediate impact on the global economy. Bad enough and President Trump might call time on Israel’s actions. That would be the Iranian hope, at least.

So expect the following: Israel continues striking Iran; Iran hits back with all it can; America is forced to help defend Israel; Iran hits both Israel, the US and possibly US allies.

That is the predictable bit.

Wars follow the laws of unintended consequences. At any point in that escalation, unexpected events could lead to greater escalation.

Brace yourself, the coming days could go in a number of directions. If the Persian Gulf becomes the battlefield, we will all feel the consequences.