Rishi Sunak’s wife is richer than the Queen
Rishi Sunak’s wife has shares in her family’s tech firm that are worth £430million, making her one of Britain’s wealthiest women.
Akshata Murty and her relatives hold a multimillion pound portfolio of shareholdings which the Chancellor has not declared in the register of ministers’ interests.
The assets make her richer than the Queen, who is estimated to be worth £350million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
Sir Alistair Graham, a former chairman of the committee on standards in public life, said the Chancellor, who married Murty in 2009, appeared to have ‘taken the most minimalist approach possible’ to divulging information.
He told The Guardian: ‘Perhaps Rishi Sunak should carefully read the “Seven principles of Public Life” to make sure he is fulfilling the two principles of “Honesty and Leadership”.’
But a Treasury spokesman said Mr Sunak had ‘followed the ministerial code to the letter in his declaration of interests’.
It follows Mr Sunak facing demands to reveal details of his financial interests last month, after it emerged he set up a ‘blind trust’ on becoming a minister.
The Chancellor deployed the arrangement, meaning that he does not know how his assets are being invested, when he was made Chief Secretary to the Treasury in July last year.
But critics said there was still risk of conflict as Mr Sunak – reputed to be the richest MP – is aware what he put into the trust.
It also means he does not have to disclose fuller details of his investment portfolio. The presence of the trust was revealed in the latest register of ministerial interests.