Jeremy Hunt bizarrely TWICE refused to say if he has ever paid a penalty to HMRC - and claimed the public is not interested.
But moments later he had a change of heart, saying that as Chancellor he should be clear, and said he had never been fined.
Mr Hunt, after delivering a speech on the government's economic plans in central London, emphatically told journalists he wouldn't be commenting on his personal tax affairs.
But he backtracked on this minutes later when interviewed on camera by the BBC.
It comes as pressure mounts on Rishi Sunak to remove Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi after it emerged he'd paid a penalty last year.
The Treasury chief, who became Chancellor following the sacking of Kwasi Kwarteng in October, was twice asked by journalists today whether he has ever paid a penalty.
In answer to the first question he responded: "I'm not going to talk about my personal tax affairs, but I don't think there's anything interesting you'd find to write about."
Pressed a second time, he said: "I don't think people at home are remotely interested in personal tax affairs."
He quickly U-turned, however, telling the BBC: “Well, there's an independent process going on looking at Nadhim Zahawi and it wouldn't be right for me to comment on that. I don't normally comment about my own tax records, but I am Chancellor, so for the record, I haven't paid an HMRC fine.”
The millionaire Chancellor has previously apologised for failing to declare his purchase of seven luxury flats to rent out - blaming an "administrative error".
He was also reported to have legally avoided paying £100,000 in taxes following a £1.8 million property deal before the 2010 election, as it was completed shortly before a rise in dividends tax.
It comes as pressure mounts on Rishi Sunak to remove Mr Zahawi, who said a "careless but not deliberate" error had been made relating to shares in YouGov, the polling company he co-founded.
In a statement at the weekend, he confirmed he had agreed to a settlement - estimated to be worth around £5million, including a penalty - while he was Chancellor in the dying days of Boris Johnson's Government.
Last night former Tory chairman Jake Berry said it was "unsustainable" for a minister to stay in post while being investigated.
Mr Hunt had earlier delivered a speech in which he promised to create "mini-Canary Wharfs" across the UK and called for more optimism about the state of the economy.
He blamed "black swan events" - a financial crisis, the pandemic and the energy crisis - for the country's financial woes, and admitted a number of "structural issues" are holding the UK back.
These include poor productivity, skills gaps, the "overconcentration" of wealth in the South East, and said real income hadn't risen as fast as it should.
But he called for "optimism", saying the UK is ranked by the World Bank as one of the best locations to do businesses.
Labour figures earlier showed that lost growth under the Tories has left the economy £2,000 worse off per household compared to other G7 countries.
Mr Hunt told an audience in London: “Like every G7 country, our growth was slower in the years after the financial crisis than the years before it.
"But since 2010, the UK has grown faster than France, Japan and Italy. Since the Brexit referendum, we have grown at about the same rate as Germany.
“If we look further ahead, the case for declinism becomes weaker still. The UK is poised to play a leading role in Europe and across the world in the growth sectors which will define this century.”
He outlined hopes of bringing millions of people back into work, describing an "enormous and shocking waste of talent and potential".
Mr Hunt continued: "So to those who retired early after the pandemic or haven’t found the right role after furlough, I say: ‘Britain needs you’ and we will look at the conditions necessary to make work worth your while."
Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responded: “Britain has so much potential.
"From creating good, new jobs in the industries of the future, to making our country the best place to start and grow a business, Labour’s proper plan for growth will grasp those opportunities and make our economy stronger to face up to the challenges.
“13 years of Tory economic failure have left living standards and growth on the floor, crashed our economy, and driven up mortgages and bills.
“The Tories have no plan for now, and no plan for the future. It’s time for a Labour government that will build a better Britain.”
