PM will sack Nadhim Zahawi if rule breach found, say Tory MPs

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( January 26, 2023 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Rishi Sunak will sack Nadhim Zahawi if rule breach found, say Tory MPs]( Rishi Sunak will sack Conservative chair Nadhim Zahawi if he is judged to have “fallen foul” of the ministerial code, Tory trade minister Andrew Bowie has said. Tory MPs told The Independent they believe that Mr Sunak was “increasingly irritated” with Mr Zahawi and was preparing to fire him if Sir Laurie Magnus’ probe into the tax saga found any wrongdoing. Appearing to distance himself from his cabinet colleague at PMQs, Mr Sunak suggested it would have been “politically expedient” to have sacked the Tory chair – but that he wanted the ethics adviser’s probe to play out. Mr Bowie – a close Sunak ally – told BBC Politics Live: “If [Mr Zahawi] is found to have fallen foul in this report, the prime minister will of course sack him.” Asked about those comments, senior Tory MP David Davis told The Independent: “He will have been authorised to say that, I think. At the end of the process, either he’s safe or he goes – there won’t be any grey area. What’s the half-penalty?”   2 / [Matt Hancock ‘assaulted on London Underground’ as man arrested]( Man, 61, in police custody on suspicion of common assault against former health secretary on Tube 3 / [Prince Andrew’s legal fight could become ‘money pit’, say friends]( Exclusive: Members of the family are worried the Duke could fall into a ‘money pit’ in bid to overturn Virginia Giuffre case 4 /[Michael Gove defends Suella Braverman at Holocaust memorial event]( Levelling Up Secretary spoke at a Holocaust Memorial Day event in central London on Wednesday evening 5 / [Warning of big change to Covid vaccines in UK]( Vaccination experts said the nation is moving away from the ’emergency response’ to the Covid-19 pandemic     The Big Question What is life like at -53C? An intense cold spell is gripping east [Asia](, with temperatures plunging and hazardous conditions reported across [China](, the Koreas [and Japan](. On Monday one of China’s northern-most cities [broke its lowest ever recorded temperature](, with the mercury hitting -53C at 7am on the first day of the Lunar New Year in Mohe, Heilongjiang province. Japan and the Korean peninsula have also issued warnings over freezing temperatures and gales that have killed at least one person, while at least 57 people have been reported dead in Afghanistan as the wintry conditions stretch across into central Asia. Mohe, widely known as “China’s North Pole” is nestled near Russia’s [Siberia]( region, where temperatures can drop as low as -68C. It is one of the few places in China to have a subarctic climate. Winters in Mohe are generally eight months long and begin in early October, often lasting until May. Average temperatures during this period as a whole have been known to dip below freezing, experts say. But a temperature of -50C is rare. [For the full story click here >](   Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our [welcome offer when you join today](. Watch/ [Matt Hancock ‘harassed’ on London Underground as man arrested for assault](   NUMBER OF THE DAY 78% – Thousands of seats are deliberately going unsold on [Eurostar]( trains every day as the cross-Channel train operatostruggles with post-[Brexit]( passport controls.Eurostar has revealed that the first wave of morning trains outbound from London and inbound from continental Europe are capped at 550 passengers – leaving 350 seats, or 39 per cent of capacity, empty. [Read more here](   QUOTE OF THE DAY “To be honest, even before playing this tournament, I never wore a hijab.” – A[Iran](’s top female [chess]( player, Sara Khadem, has explained her decision to controversially [not wear a hijab]( at a recent major tournament after it [caused a stir]( on the international stage.. [Read more here](     Other stories you might like   [At least ’24 civil servants involved in complaints against Dominic Raab’](   [Martin Lewis issues warning to anyone who owns a washing machine](   [M&S chair latest business leader to hit out at ‘baffling’ post-Brexit plans](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers [Salma Shah]( - [The pitfalls of Rishi Sunak’s premiership](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. 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