What Rishi Sunak's wife's non-dom status means as constituents give damning verdict

Could the tax affairs of Rishi Sunak's wife prove to be a problem for him? ITV News Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen gives his analysis

Asked about the tax affairs of Rishi Sunak's wife, Boris Johnson said politicians' families should be left out of political debate.

But it's just not that simple; the ministerial code explicitly recognises that a partner's financial interests might be relevant to their job and should be declared.

It's understood that the chancellor did declare his wife's tax status when he first became a minister in 2018, and there is no suggestion that either of them has done anything wrong. Politically, however, this is difficult territory for a chancellor who is not only raising taxes all round but has also been accused of not doing enough to help the poorest in society.

So far Ms Murty's spokesperson has just said she pays foreign tax on her foreign income and that it's "not relevant" to give any more detail.

But given that 'non-dom' status has long been associated with tax avoidance, the questions about exactly where Ms Murty pays her tax will continue until she can show that she isn't using her status to avoid tax. And so long as those questions are there it will draw attention to the fact that the chancellor is married to a billionaire's daughter.

That should have absolutely nothing to do with his qualifications to do the job.

But the idea that he is too far removed from the problems of the people who need his help the most to understand them will be used by his opponents as a stick to beat him with again and again.

What do his constituents in Richmond, North Yorkshire, think?

ITV News spoke to locals in Mr Sunak's Richmond constituency in North Yorkshire to hear their thoughts following the latest revelations, and while some did not see a problem with his wife's non-dom status, many were less than impressed.

One man, perhaps the most damning, described the chancellor as a "smooth operator" but said he's "very out of touch with ordinary people".

Another, more sympathetic, said "anyone else and their dog would do the same" if they were in the same situation," while others said they had no trust in politicians whatsoever, the chancellor or otherwise - watch what they said, below.