Rishi Sunak faces probe over claims he failed to declare an interest  

Rishi Sunak is facing a probe by the Commons sleaze watchdog into claims he failed to declare his wife’s interest in a childcare business. 

Parliamentary commissioner Daniel Greenberg has launched an investigation after criticism that the PM did not mention Akshata Murty’s stake when discussing the £4billion childcare boost in the Budget.

Downing Street flatly denied he had broken any rules at the time, arguing that it only needed to be declared on the ministerial register. 

However, no version of that register has been published since May last year, when Boris Johnson was premier.  

A No10 spokeswoman responded today: ‘We are happy to assist the commissioner to clarify how this has been transparently declared as a ministerial interest.’

The Code of Conduct states: ‘Members must always be open and frank in declaring any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its Committees, and in any communications with Ministers, Members, public officials or public office holders.’

Rishi Sunak is facing a probe by the Commons standards watchdog into claims he failed to declare an interest

It is not the first time the financial affairs of Ms Murty, the daughter of billionaire Indian IT mogul Narayana Murthy, have caused embarrassment for Mr Sunak

The PM’s failure to notify MPs of his wife’s interest has led to demands for Mr Sunak’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, to launch an investigation

Mr Sunak’s name has been added to the list of MPs under investigation by the Commons standards commissioner

Ms Murty is listed as a shareholder in the London-based agency in Companies House documents as recently as March 6 this year

Who is Akshata Murty? 

The Prime Minister’s wife is the daughter of billionaire Indian IT mogul, Narayana Murthy.

Akshata, 42, married Rishi Sunak in 2009 at a lavish ceremony in Bengaluru, India.

The couple had met while both studying at Stanford University in California.

During their early years together, Akshata pursued a career in fashion and set up her own business in 2007, Akshata Designs.

Her wealth comes predominantly from the 0.93 per cent stake she holds in her father’s firm, Infosys.

She and Mr Sunak also set up their own investment firm called Catamaran Ventures.

When he became PM in October, Mr Sunak and his wife decided to move themselves – as well as their two daughters, Krishna, 11, and Anoushka, nine – into the flat above No10 where they had previously lived when he was Chancellor.

This is different from previous PMs who, in recent times, have usually lived in the larger flat above No11.

Explaining their choice of residence, the PM’s press secretary said the family were ‘very happy there’ during Mr Sunak’s time as Treasury chief.

The PM’s wife has become an increasingly prominent presence during Mr Sunak’s political career.

In April last year, she was forced to admit she held non-dom tax status in the UK in a row that threatened to derail her husband’s ambitions.

But the couple survived the fierce scrutiny over their financial affairs and Ms Murty is now taking on a ‘First Lady’ role as the PM’s wife.

As well as a five-bedroom Kensington mews house worth an estimated £7million, Ms Murty and Mr Sunak also own another west London flat, a £2million manor house in Mr Sunak’s Yorkshire constituency, and a £5.5million penthouse in Santa Monica, California.

Last month Downing Street denied that Mr Sunak had broken any rules by failing to mention his wife Akshata Murty’s shareholding in a childcare business.

The premier did not declare Ms Murty’s investment in Koru Kids when he was quizzed about his £4billion boost for the childcare sector at this month’s Budget.

She is listed as a shareholder in the London-based agency in Companies House documents as recently as March 6 this year.

Koru Kids is set to benefit from the major shake-up of the childcare sector by Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

The PM’s failure to notify MPs of his wife’s interest led to demands for Mr Sunak’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, to investigate.

But the PM’s press secretary said at the time: ‘The Ministerial Code sets out a process by which ministers declare their interests.

‘They do that in writing, in this case to the Cabinet Secretary. That process was followed to the letter by the Prime Minister.’

She added: ‘He declared the interest in the usual way – he followed the process.’

The PM’s press secretary insisted Mr Sunak was also happy he had abided by Parliamentary obligations on declaring financial interests when answering questions from fellow MPs.

Liberal Democrat frontbencher Wendy Chamberlain said: ‘Another day and another accusation of a Conservative Prime Minister bending the rules.

‘This is on the same day that Rishi Sunak may have broken election rules for his government announcement today.

‘After months of Conservative sleaze and scandal, the public just want a government which is focused on the country, rather than saving their own skin’

Koru Kids is one of six childminder agencies listed on the Government’s website.

The firm welcomed the Budget announcement on its website and hailed the ‘great’ new incentives open to childminders.

It said a bonus of ‘£1,200 – yes double’ would be paid ‘if you come through an agency like Koru Kids who offer community, training and ongoing support’.

The most recent register of ministerial interests only notes that Ms Murty owns a venture capital investment company known as Catamaran Ventures UK.

But there has been no update to the register of ministerial interests since May last year, since when there have been a raft of changes in Government ranks including the departure of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss as prime minister.

Ministers are expected to provide a written list of all financial interests that might ‘give rise to a conflict’.

The ‘interests of their spouse, partner or close family members’ are included in the information expected to be handed over.

But they may not appear on the finished list if there is deemed not to be an issue.

It is not the first time the financial affairs of Ms Murty, the daughter of billionaire Indian IT mogul, Narayana Murthy, have caused embarrassment for Mr Sunak.

He faced a bitter row last year when it emerged Ms Murty held non-dom tax status.

In February it was revealed Ms Murty held shares in a collapsed firm that received nearly £300,000 in taxpayer-funded loans under schemes set up by Mr Sunak when he was Chancellor. 

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