Sunak had asked Boris Johnson to refer him to Lord Gide after days of criticism of his wife’s tax regime and a green residence card in the United States, even after his appointment to number 11. He asked his peer to determine if all his interests were “correctly stated”. Mr Sunak said he “always followed the rules” and hoped the review would “provide further clarity”. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: “I can confirm that the Prime Minister has agreed to the Chancellor’s request for Lord Geidt to take over this task. “The prime minister has complete confidence in the chancellor.” The chancellor has come under increasing pressure in recent days after it was revealed that Akshata Murty, the multimillionaire wife of Indian descent, had a non-resident tax regime, allowing her to avoid paying income tax in the UK. Murty then issued a statement saying she would now pay tax in the UK on all profits worldwide. Mr Sunak, who lived and worked in the United States before becoming a member of parliament, also had questions about the revelation that he was still a permanent resident on the U.S. Green Card until last fall, a year and a half after becoming chancellor. The Labor Party has accused Mr Sunak of hypocrisy over his household finances – as the government raises national insurance for millions of workers and implements benefits increases that are much lower than the current rate of inflation.
