Thursday briefing: The key takeaways from Boris Johnson’s Partygate grilling
GuardianDec 24, 2022
The Facts
On Monday, the UK Parliament's standards watchdog announced that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under investigation over a potential failure to declare wife Akshata Murty's shares in a childcare firm.
The watchdog is reportedly probing Sunak under paragraph six of the ministerial code, which states that MPs "must always be open and frank in declaring any relevant interest" they hold.
The Spin
Left narrative
This is a huge setback for Rishi Sunak, who had promised to put integrity, professionalism, and accountability at the heart of his administration. He must now explain why he failed to come clean when asked about the shares his family held in a company that is set to benefit from his pilot childcare policy. The public wants a government focused on the country rather than one which bends the rules and avoids proper scrutiny for its own financial gain.
Right narrative
There isn't anything sinister about how Rishi Sunak declared his wife's shares. He did so via a ministerial declaration, as opposed to through the Commons, and he has assured the standards commissioner he will work cooperatively to clear up any outstanding questions. There's no need to doubt Sunak's integrity and ethics.
