SUNAK'S ON RACK

He's branded 'weak' over Zahawi dithering. Ex-chairman is finally axed over taxes cover-up.

-  JOHN STEVENS & CHRIS MCCALL

RISHI Sunak finally sacked Nadhim Zahawi over his tax cover-up yesterday.

After a fortnight of dithering, the PM axed the party chair for breaking ministerial rules seven times by trying to cover up the fact he was facing a probe into his tax affairs.

But with his party mired in sleaze, Sunak was branded "weak" and warned he faces being dragged down by a string of scandals.

Yesterday Zahawi refused to apologise and blamed the press for reporting his rule-breaking.

One Tory MP said: "We picked Rishi as he was supposed to be the new broom to clean up Boris's mess but it's been worse. You cannot move for dirt.

Michael Portillo insisted the PM should have sacked Zahawi as soon as it became clear he was not being honest, instead of ordering a probe by ethics chief Sir Laurie Magnus.

The Tory heavyweight said: "It pains me to say this but I think on the whole it makes Rishi look weak.

"He must have been kicking himself that he decided to refer this to an investigation rather than going with a decision straight away."