UK's PM appoints MP Greg Hands as new Conservative Party chairman

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Feb 20:19

This comes after former Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi was sacked from the government after an independent probe into his tax issues revealed a severe breach of the ministerial code.

Greg Hands (Parliament UK)

Following former chairman of the Conservative Party Nadhim Zahawi's tax scandals which caused him to be sacked from his duties, UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Tuesday that he handed over the role to Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands.

I am excited to be asked by @rishisunak to be Chairman of the @conservatives

I joined the Party in 1986 - a ward chairman in 1992, a councillor in 1998, a Group Leader in 1999, an MP in 2005, a Minister in 2011 - an honour to chair it in 2023!

The work starts right away. pic.twitter.com/eMxGSS2uNo
— Greg Hands (@GregHands) February 7, 2023

The functions accompanying his new position will include taking care of the party's political activities, campaigning, fundraising, and communicating with the media.

On January 29, Sunak sacked Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi from the government after an independent probe into his tax issues revealed a severe breach of the ministerial code.

Sunak had requested an investigation from an Independent Adviser who found that Zahawi had undeclared £3.7m of tax for 5 years.

Zahawi faced calls to resign after it was revealed that he paid the penalty to HMRC for the previously unpaid tax while he was chancellor as part of a multi-million-pound dispute.