The UK Parliament's Commissioner for Standards has launched an investigation into Prime Minister Rishi Sunak following the release of a list of ongoing inquiries posted

on its website on Monday. The list reveals that the matter under investigation relates to a "declaration of interest" and that the inquiry began on April 13.

Sunak's office has responded to the news, saying that the investigation is linked to his wife's shareholding in a childcare firm. This follows reports in the media that Akshata Murthy, Sunak's wife, was a shareholder in a company that stood to benefit from a government policy on funding for childcare, which was announced in the March budget.

The Liberal Democrats, an opposition party, had called for an investigation following these media reports. Under the code of conduct, all members of parliament are required to disclose any financial interests that could reasonably be thought to influence their actions, speeches or votes in parliament, or actions taken in their capacity as a member of parliament.

The Commissioner is responsible for monitoring the operation of the House of Commons Code of Conduct and Registers, and for investigating any alleged breaches. The commissioner's page on the parliament website does not provide further details on the possible breach.

If the investigation finds that Sunak has broken the code of conduct, the Commissioner can require him to acknowledge and apologize for the breach and set out steps to avoid any future errors. In more serious cases, the matter can be referred to a committee, which has the power to impose other sanctions if it wishes to. These include oral or written apologies, suspension of salary, suspension from the service of the House for a specified period, or expulsion, according to the parliament website.

The Prime Minister's office has said that they are willing to assist the Commissioner with clarifying how the interest in the childcare firm was declared transparently as a ministerial interest. However, it remains to be seen how the investigation will proceed and whether or not any further action will be taken.

This is not the first time that Sunak has been under scrutiny for his financial interests. Last year, it was revealed that he had accepted a £1,000 donation from a company linked to the Gupta family, which has been embroiled in a series of scandals. However, Sunak later returned the donation and apologized for any "unintended associations" that may have arisen.

The investigation into Sunak comes at a difficult time for the Prime Minister, who is facing mounting criticism over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as ongoing questions over his conduct and financial interests. The investigation may also have wider implications for the Conservative government, which has faced criticism over its perceived closeness to big business and its handling of issues such as lobbying and conflicts of interest.

Overall, the investigation into Sunak highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in government, and serves as a reminder of the need for politicians to be open and honest about their financial interests. While it remains to be seen what the outcome of the investigation will be, it is clear that it will be closely watched by politicians, the media, and the public alike. Photo by Rennett Stowe from USA, Wikimedia commons.