Two-thirds of public want Nadhim Zahawi to reveal how much he paid in tax row

Almost two in three Britons want Conservative chairman Nadhim Zahawi to set out how much it took to settle his tax dispute with HMRC, a poll for The Independent has found.

Some 64 per cent of people including 61 per cent of Tory voters say Mr Zahawi should reveal exactly how much he handed over, according to the Savanta ComRes survey.

Only 18 per cent said he should not disclose the sums of his tax settlement, which is now subject to an investigation by Rishi Sunaks ethics adviser.

Mr Zahawi has not yet disclosed the size of the HMRC settlement reportedly an estimated 4.8m, including a 30 per cent penalty of around 1m. But his spokesman has not denied the reported sums.

The prime minister is facing a backlash from his own MPs over the decision to keep the Tory chairman in the cabinet, with one former minister telling The Independent it was insanity to leave the matter unresolved.

Another ex-minister said the prime minister risked looking indecisive by keeping him in post, and revealed that the general view of Tory colleagues was that Mr Zahawi should resign now.