‘Attacks on Sunak's wife motivated by her status as foreign national'

RISHI SUNAK was today facing a growing row over his wife’s non-dom tax status as a minister suggested the “unpleasant” attacks on her may be motivated by her status as a foreign national.

- David Bond

The Chancellor says he and his wife Akshata Murty, who has Indian citizenship, are the victims of a smear campaign after Labour criticised her for not paying UK tax on the millions of pounds she earns from dividends overseas.

Defending Ms Murty, energy minister Greg Hands said today that she was entitled to a “certain amount of privacy” and hinted that the criticism may have something to do with her nationality.

“Some of the attacks on her for being... a slight implication that there’s something not right about her being a foreign national — my wife is a foreign national and I find that aspect of things a bit unpleasant myself,” Mr Hands told BBC radio 4’s Today Programme.