The chancellor has written to the prime minister to ask for an investigation into his financial affairs to determine whether all his interests were “properly declared”.
Rishi Sunak asked the prime minister to refer him to Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests, after days of criticism over his wife’s tax status.
Mr Sunak said on Twitter that he had “always followed the rules” and that he hoped the review would “provide further clarity”.
In the letter, Mr Sunak asked Boris Johnson to refer him to Lord Geidt “given the recent speculation around my declarations”.
Labour has also written to Downing Street asking for an investigation into a “series of troubling revelations regarding the tax status and business connections of the chancellor and his household”.
After Mr Sunak published his letter, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner joked on Twitter: “Let’s just hope this doesn’t take as long as the publication of Sue Gray’s report.”
Akshata Murty, Mr Sunak’s wife, has said she will now pay UK tax on her worldwide income.
“My overriding concern is that the public retain confidence in the answers they are given and I believe the best way of achieving this is to ensure those answers are entirely independent, without bias or favour,” Mr Sunak’s letter states.
“To that end I would recommend that Lord Geidt makes all his conclusions public. I am confident that such a review of my declarations will find all relevant information was appropriately declared.
“I have throughout my ministerial career followed the advice of officials regarding matters of propriety and disclosure and will continue to do so.”
