Q95 · UPPSC Prelims 2023 · Set A · General Studies

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On which of the following proved charges was Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi sacked from the Government in February 2023 by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak?

A Disclosure of secrecy of the Cabinet
B Sex scandal
C Tax scandal
D None of the above

Correct answer: (c) Tax scandal

Explanation

  1. A

    Disclosure of secrecy of the Cabinet

    (a) Disclosure of secrecy of the Cabinet. This option claims that Nadhim Zahawi was dismissed due to breaching cabinet confidentiality. However, this is incorrect as the investigation focused on his tax affairs rather than disclosure of official secrets.

  2. B

    Sex scandal

    (b) Sex scandal. This option claims he was sacked over personal misconduct allegations of a sexual nature. This is factually false and unsupported by the official ethics inquiry findings.

  3. C

    Tax scandal

    (c) Tax scandal. This option claims that Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi was removed from the British Government by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak due to a proven serious breach of the ministerial code regarding his tax affairs and delayed HMRC payments, which is the correct and official reason for his dismissal.

  4. D

    None of the above

    (d) None of the above. This option claims none of the listed charges led to his sacking, which is incorrect because the tax scandal is explicitly the correct choice among the provided alternatives.

Summary. Official key is (c) Tax scandal. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sacked Conservative Party chairman and Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi in February 2023 following an independent ethics investigation. The probe found that Zahawi had failed to properly disclose his tax affairs and HMRC settlement regarding his multi-million-pound offshore company YouGov shares. This constituted a severe breach of the ministerial code of conduct. Consequently, option (c) is the only accurate and officially substantiated reason for his removal.