PM investigated over possible failure to declare wife’s shareholding in childcare firm
Parliament’s standards watchdog has opened an investigation into the prime minister over a possible failure to declare an interest when first asked.
The probe by the standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, was launched last Thursday and cited paragraph 6 of the MPs’ code of conduct, which governs how MPs should behave.
The code states that MPs “must always be open and frank in declaring any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its committees, and in any communications with ministers, members, public officials or public office holders”.
A Downing Street source said the investigation relates to the shares Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty holds in a childcare agency that could benefit from a policy announced in the budget.
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A spokesperson for Number 10 said: “We are happy to assist the commissioner to clarify how this has been transparently declared as a ministerial interest.”
Mr Sunak faced accusations of a possible conflict of interest after he failed to mention Ms Murty’s links to Koru Kids, a childcare agency, when he was questioned by MPs over why the announcement in the budget that childminders joining the profession will receive incentive payments favoured private firms.
The i newspaper revealed that Companies House listed her as a shareholder in the organisation as recently as 6 March.
Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty
In a letter to parliament’s liaison committee, which quizzed the PM last month, Mr Sunak said he had declared his interests in “the normal way”.
However, in his subsequent letter to the committee, he certified that this was in the ministers’ register, which had not been published at the time he gave evidence to MPs.
While the MPs’ register of interests requires members to declare any payments, donations or hospitality that might be reasonably considered to influence their work in parliament, the MPs’ code of conduct does not require them to record the interests of their spouses or partners.
However, the ministerial register of interests is governed by the ministerial code – which does require the declaration of “interests of the minister’s spouse or partner and close family which might be thought to give rise to a conflict”.
According to the Institute for Government, this distinction makes the ministerial register of interests stricter than that of the MPs’ register of interests.
Any potential punishment is far down the line, but this probe is clearly serious
The overall aim was to boost the number of childminders able to take up work, which came as part of a broader package about expanding childcare for parents of younger children as well.
The allegation is essentially that when Rishi Sunak was being asked about this, he hadn’t flagged up in that instant that his wife was a shareholder in an agency that would potentially benefit from this policy announcement.
Yes, it was out there in the media, but the rules and code of conduct of parliament is that you have to take formal steps to outline these potential interests so that any potential conflicts of interest between your political day job and personal interests are set out and transparent.
This investigation will go on to see whether the prime minister has declared his interests properly.
The defence from the prime minister is that actually because there’s a register of ministerial interests, where ministers declare potential financial interests or conflicts; because that hasn’t been updated for a year or so now, the new register of ministerial interests will have it detailed there.
The standards adviser investigates and comes back with a decision on whether the code of conduct has been broken.
If it has, that’s where the focus shifts onto what type of punishment should be imposed.
That’s quite far down the line, but it is clearly serious.
But critics, including the Labour chairman of the Standards Committee Chris Bryant, have called for the two registers to be combined because the ministerial register is published far less frequently and so is less visible to the public.
In his letter to the committee, Mr Sunak wrote: “I note that there has been some media coverage relating to the minority stake my wife has in relation to the company Koru Kids.
“I was being asked questions by the committee in my capacity as prime minister.
“I would like to clarify for the parliamentary record that this interest has rightly been declared to the Cabinet Office.”
The prime minister said the most recent list of ministerial interests would be published “shortly” by his independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus.
Sunak’s wife at centre of the investigation – politics latest
“This regime ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential conflict of interest, and that the interests of ministers’ spouses or partners are not something that would influence their actions either as ministers or as members of parliament,” he added.
Mr Sunak has previously said that “transparency is really important” for parliament to operate well.
In reaction to Sky News’ Westminster Accounts project launched in January, the prime minister said there was a reason that “rules and regulations” are in place.
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Sunak: ‘Transparency is important’
“I think transparency is really important for the healthy functioning of democracy, it’s absolutely right that there’s disclosures around donations and outside interests,” he said.
Mr Sunak wrote to the liaison committee to follow up on points that were raised at its session with the prime minister last month.
Labour MP Catherine McKinnell pointed out that six private childcare agencies were set to benefit from Jeremy Hunt’s budget, in which the chancellor announced a pilot of incentive payments of £600 for childminders joining the profession – a sum that doubles to £1,200 if they sign up through an agency.
Ms McKinnell quizzed Mr Sunak on the logic behind making the bonus twice as much for childminders who sign up through private agencies.
His response was that the policy was “designed in consultation with the sector”.
Pressed again on the rationale, he said: “I think it’s a reflection of the fact that they are through intermediaries so there are additional costs.
“And, ultimately, we want to make sure the policy is effective in bringing additional people into the system.”
Rishi Sunak giving evidence to the liaison committee in March
Asked if he had any interest to declare, Mr Sunak replied: “No, all my disclosures are declared in the normal way.”
The Liberal Democrats previously said that Ms Murty’s shareholding raised “serious questions” for Mr Sunak and called on Sir Laurie to investigate.
In response to the launch of the investigation, Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “Another day and another accusation of a Conservative prime minister bending the rules.
“This is on the same day that Rishi Sunak may have broken election rules for his government announcement today.
“After months of Conservative sleaze and scandal, the public just want a government which is focused on the country, rather than saving their own skin.”
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Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said: “This government’s failure to update the rules or publish a register of ministers’ interests in nearly a year has left a transparency black hole which is enabling the prime minister and those he has appointed to dodge proper scrutiny of their affairs.
“If Rishi Sunak has got nothing to hide, he should commit to publishing the register before May’s elections so the public can see for themselves.
“While this prime minister fails to deliver the integrity he promised and preserves the rotten standards regime he inherited as the Tories resist tighter rules, Labour has a plan to clean up politics with an Independent ethics and integrity commission to restore standards in public life.”
The prime minister is just the latest MP to be investigated by the commissioner, who is looking into the behaviour of six MPs in total.
Last week investigations were opened into three MPs, including former health secretary Matt Hancock, Tory MP Henry Smith and independent MP Scott Benton.
TikTok and Instagram have been accused of targeting teenagers with suicide and self-harm content – at a higher rate than two years ago.
The Molly Rose Foundation – set up by Ian Russell after his 14-year-old daughter took her own life after viewing harmful content on social media – commissioned analysis of hundreds of posts on the platforms, using accounts of a 15-year-old girl based in the UK.
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The charity claimed videos recommended by algorithms on the For You pages continued to feature a “tsunami” of clips containing “suicide, self-harm and intense depression” to under-16s who have previously engaged with similar material.
One in 10 of the harmful posts had been liked at least a million times. The average number of likes was 226,000, the researchers said.
Mr Russell told Sky News the results were “horrifying” and showed online safety laws are not fit for purpose.
Molly Russell died in 2017. Pic: Molly Rose Foundation
‘This is happening on PM’s watch’
He said: “It is staggering that eight years after Molly’s death, incredibly harmful suicide, self-harm, and depression content like she saw is still pervasive across social media.
“Ofcom’s recent child safety codes do not match the sheer scale of harm being suggested to vulnerable users and ultimately do little to prevent more deaths like Molly’s.
“The situation has got worse rather than better, despite the actions of governments and regulators and people like me. The report shows that if you strayed into the rabbit hole of harmful suicide self-injury content, it’s almost inescapable.
“For over a year, this entirely preventable harm has been happening on the prime minister’s watch and where Ofcom have been timid it is time for him to be strong and bring forward strengthened, life-saving legislation without delay.”
Ian Russell says children are viewing ‘industrial levels’ of self-harm content
After Molly’s death in 2017, a coroner ruled she had been suffering from depression, and the material she had viewed online contributed to her death “in a more than minimal way”.
Researchers at Bright Data looked at 300 Instagram Reels and 242 TikToks to determine if they “promoted and glorified suicide and self-harm”, referenced ideation or methods, or “themes of intense hopelessness, misery, and despair”.
They were gathered between November 2024 and March 2025, before new children’s codes for tech companies under the Online Safety Act came into force in July.
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What are the new online rules?
The Molly Rose Foundation claimed Instagram “continues to algorithmically recommend appallingly high volumes of harmful material”.
The researchers said 97% of the videos recommended on Instagram Reels for the account of a teenage girl, who had previously looked at this content, were judged to be harmful.
Some 44% actively referenced suicide and self-harm, they said. They also claimed harmful content was sent in emails containing recommended content for users.
A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Instagram, said: “We disagree with the assertions of this report and the limited methodology behind it.
“Tens of millions of teens are now in Instagram Teen Accounts, which offer built-in protections that limit who can contact them, the content they see, and the time they spend on Instagram.
“We continue to use automated technology to remove content encouraging suicide and self-injury, with 99% proactively actioned before being reported to us. We developed Teen Accounts to help protect teens online and continue to work tirelessly to do just that.”
TikTok
TikTok was accused of recommending “an almost uninterrupted supply of harmful material”, with 96% of the videos judged to be harmful, the report said.
Over half (55%) of the For You posts were found to be suicide and self-harm related; a single search yielding posts promoting suicide behaviours, dangerous stunts and challenges, it was claimed.
The number of problematic hashtags had increased since 2023; with many shared on highly-followed accounts which compiled ‘playlists’ of harmful content, the report alleged.
A TikTok spokesperson said: “Teen accounts on TikTok have 50+ features and settings designed to help them safely express themselves, discover and learn, and parents can further customise 20+ content and privacy settings through Family Pairing.
“With over 99% of violative content proactively removed by TikTok, the findings don’t reflect the real experience of people on our platform which the report admits.”
According to TikTok, they not do not allow content showing or promoting suicide and self-harm, and say that banned hashtags lead users to support helplines.
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‘A brutal reality’
Both platforms allow young users to provide negative feedback on harmful content recommended to them. But the researchers found they can also provide positive feedback on this content and be sent it for the next 30 days.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “These figures show a brutal reality – for far too long, tech companies have stood by as the internet fed vile content to children, devastating young lives and even tearing some families to pieces.
“But companies can no longer pretend not to see. The Online Safety Act, which came into effect earlier this year, requires platforms to protect all users from illegal content and children from the most harmful content, like promoting or encouraging suicide and self-harm. 45 sites are already under investigation.”
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Since this research was carried out, our new measures to protect children online have come into force.
“These will make a meaningful difference to children – helping to prevent exposure to the most harmful content, including suicide and self-harm material. And for the first time, services will be required by law to tame toxic algorithms.
“Tech firms that don’t comply with the protection measures set out in our codes can expect enforcement action.”
Peter Kyle has said opponents of the Online Safety Act are on the side of predators. Pic: PA
‘A snapshot of rock bottom’
A separate report out today from the Children’s Commissioner found the proportion of children who have seen pornography online has risen in the past two years – also driven by algorithms.
Rachel de Souza described the content young people are seeing as “violent, extreme and degrading”, and often illegal, and said her office’s findings must be seen as a “snapshot of what rock bottom looks like”.
More than half (58%) of respondents to the survey said that, as children, they had seen pornography involving strangulation, while 44% reported seeing a depiction of rape – specifically someone who was asleep.
The survey of 1,020 people aged between 16 and 21 found that they were on average aged 13 when they first saw pornography. More than a quarter (27%) said they were 11, and some reported being six or younger.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
There is one thing scarier than markets lurching around. And that’s markets lurching around without a very compelling explanation.
Just yesterday, the yield on the government’s 30-year bonds – the best measure out there of the UK government’s long-term cost of borrowing – closed at the highest level since 1998, not long after Oasis released the album Be Here Now. Indeed, the yields on pretty much all UK government debt has been creeping up in recent weeks, though not all are back to Britpop era levels.
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In some senses, this looks very odd indeed. After all, the Bank of England just cut interest rates. In normal circumstances, you would expect measures of borrowing costs to be falling across the board. But clearly these are not normal times.
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‘Is the Bank worried about recession risk?’
All of which raises the question: is this a UK-specific phenomenon? Are markets singling out Britain for particular concern, much as they did after Liz Truss’s notorious mini-budget? Actually, there are more questions on top of that one. For instance, is this all about Rachel Reeves’s recent woes, and her need to find another £20bn, give or take, to make her sums add up? Are investors fretting about the Bank of England’s inflation-fighting credibility, given its cutting rates even as prices rise?
The short answer, I’m afraid, is that no one really knows. But a glance at a few metrics can at least provide a bit of context.
The first thing to note is that while government borrowing costs in the UK are up, they have also been rising in other leading economies. The UK, it’s worth saying, is a bit of an outlier with higher yields than in fellow G7 nations. But that’s not exactly a new thing: it’s been the case since the mini-budget. But the UK is a particularly ugly duckling in a lake full of them.
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Are taxes going to rise?
Indeed, look at other nations, and you see that Britain’s budgetary challenges are hardly unique. The US and France have ballooning budget deficits which are rising rapidly. Most European nations have pledged enormous increases in military spending to satisfy Donald Trump’s demands of NATO.
And over the Atlantic, the US administration has just committed to a sweeping set of generous fiscal measures, under its One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Even Elon Musk has voiced concerns about what this means for the deficit (which is set to continue rising ad infinitum, at least on paper).
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All of which brings us to the broader, possibly scarier, lesson. There are signs afoot that while G7 nations could depend for decades on other surplus countries – most notably China and other Asian countries – buying vast amounts of their debt in recent years, that might no longer be the case. In short, even as rich countries borrow like crazy, it’s becoming less clear who will lend them the money.
That’s an enormous conundrum, and not good news for anyone.
Drivers are being warned they could face long delays on major routes over the August bank holiday period, while train journeys will be impacted by rail engineering works.
Issuing the alert, the RAC urged motorists to set off as early as possible or “be prepared to spend longer in traffic”.
The RAC said some three million journeys for holidays or day trips are expected to be made on Friday, rising to 3.4 million on Saturday, 2.4 million on Sunday and 2.7 million on Monday, with an additional 6.1 million drivers planning a leisure trip at some point between Friday and Monday.
With over 17.6 million getaway trips by car expected, these are the roads with the worst-expected congestion, as well as the train lines that will be closed.
Which roads are likely to be the worst affected?
Transport analytics company Inrix has predicted the M5 between Bristol and Devon will have the most severe getaway traffic.
It said the stretch from junction 15 north of Bristol to junction 23 for Bridgwater is likely to see delays of more than 40 minutes on Friday and Saturday.
Delays exceeding half an hour are forecast on Friday on the M20 in Kent, as the route is taken by a large proportion of vehicles making Channel crossings via Dover or Folkestone.
Vehicles queue for the Port of Dover in May. File pic: PA
The warning covers journeys from junction seven near Maidstone to junction three (Addington Interchange), as well as from junction one at Swanley to junction five at Aylesford.
Major rail lines closed
Rail passengers are being warned that some major routes will be closed for engineering work, as Network Rail undertakes 261 projects across Britain.
There will be no long-distance services between London King’s Cross and Peterborough on Saturday, which will disrupt Anglo-Scottish journeys by LNER and Lumo on the East Coast Main Line.
File pic: Reuters
Avanti West Coast will operate a reduced and amended service to and from London Euston.
No services will operate between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International between Saturday and Monday.
Affected Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry services will be diverted, increasing journey times.
London Northwestern services will run to and from Birmingham International only.
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