Rishi Sunak offers himself for independent review amid UK tax row

Prime Minister Johnson formally accepted the request on Monday and has asked Lord Geidt to open an inquiry, which can take months to complete

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has written to his boss, Boris Johnson, to be referred to one of the British Prime Minister’s independent advisers to review all his ministerial declarations of interest amid a row around his family’s tax affairs.

The Indian-origin finance minister, who has been fighting back attacks over wife Akshata Murty’s tax arrangements in India and also Opposition allegations around his own finances, said in a Twitter post on Sunday that he is confident the independent review by House of Lords peer Christopher Geidt, the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, will provide “further clarity”.

Prime Minister Johnson formally accepted the request on Monday and has asked Lord Geidt to open an inquiry, which can take months to complete.

"I can confirm that the Prime Minister has agreed to the request from the Chancellor for Lord Geidt to undertake this work," the UK PM’s official spokesperson told reporters.

Asked if Mr Johnson continues to have full confidence in his Chancellor, the spokesperson added: "He does. I think as he said on Friday, he is doing an outstanding job." In his letter to Mr Johnson, Mr Sunak, 41, stated that he wants to work with Lord Geidt's office and provide all relevant information required in light of recent speculation surrounding his declarations, which are required of all ministers.

"My overriding concern is that the public retain confidence in the answers they are given and I believe the best way of achieving this is to ensure those answers are entirely independent, without bias or favour," he writes.

"To that end I would recommend that Lord Geidt makes all his conclusions public. I am confident that such a review of my declarations will find all relevant information was appropriately declared. I have throughout my ministerial career followed the advice of officials regarding matters of propriety and disclosure and will continue to do so," he said.