India-UK FTA deal: Rishi Sunak faces conflict of interest over wife Akshata Murthy's Infosys shares, say reports
G20 summit in New Delhi in September. The conflict relates to transparency questions related to wife Akshata Murthy’s Infosys shares – massive Bengaluru-based international IT services and consultancy company, worth an estimated 500 million pounds, in a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with India, reported The Guardian.
According to the report, Labour, and the chair of the all-party House of Commons business and trade select committee on 26 August called for Sunak to be more open about his wife’s financial interests, citing Infosys could be a key beneficiary of any agreement signed with India. The Labour chair of the business and trade select committee -- Darren Johns -- even suggested the British PM to recuse himself from the trade negotiations altogether.
ALSO READ: Rishi Sunak running a 'zombie parliament', UK MP in resignation letter “As the prime minister recently learned, it’s important he declares any interests properly. I expect him to do so in respect of the India trade deal too," The Guardian quoted Jones as saying.
This new development arrives after former culture secretary Nadine Dorries – also a vocal critic of Sunak – finally handed in her resignation as an MP. Sunak, who is all set to attend the G20 Summit in Delhi in September, is expected to discuss the UK-India trade negotiations in a separate bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
After holding intensive talks on the prospective deal – FTA, Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch flew back from India this weekend. The UK parliamentary watchdog released its report into an inquiry earlier this week concluding that Sunak had inadvertently failed to correctly declare his wife’s shares in childminding firm Koru Kids that stood to benefit from
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