Another former Tory minister calls for Nadhim Zahawi to go

Rishi Sunak should encourage the Conservative party chair, Nadhim Zahawi, to resign because his position is untenable, a former Tory cabinet minister has said.

David Gauke and the Conservative peer Lord Hayward urged Zahawi to consider his position as he comes under increasing pressure over his tax affairs, with Sunak braced for a grilling at prime ministers questions.

The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, is expected to question Sunak on why he has refused to give in to pressure to fire Zahawi, and ask exactly what the prime minister knew when appointing Zahawi to the cabinet-attending role.

Gauke, who resigned as a cabinet minister in 2019, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Wednesday that the prime minister should encourage Zahawi to quit before a very uncomfortable PMQs.

The former justice secretary said: I think I would be very tempted to, and if I was the prime minister I think I would be keen to encourage it. I think it is going to be very uncomfortable for Rishi Sunak at 12 oclock today if Nadhim Zahawi is still in place.