Clouds gather for Rishi Sunak as cabinet meets at away day

The prime minister has his cabinet gathered for a mammoth away day at his country retreat Chequers earlier today.

As well as the weekly cabinet meeting, ministers were due to discuss their priorities in a "political cabinet".

Political cabinet involves discussion of strategy - more political officials attend and it's not minuted like official government business.

It's the first since Rishi Sunak took office.

But as ministers discuss how to turn around a significant poll deficit, there are clouds over the government, with more than one member of the cabinet under investigation over their conduct.

The Guardian is reporting that Dominic Raab is facing complaints from at least 24 people.

We already knew he was facing a bullying probe. The BBC has not verified the Guardian's new figure - but a source close to the process told us they believe it is correct. The government says it won't give a running commentary.

Mr Raab told the BBC at the weekend: "I am confident I have behaved professionally throughout and of course the government takes a zero tolerance on bullying."

Nadhim Zahawi - the Conservative Party chairman embroiled in a row over his taxes - was due to attend today's meeting.

• Key questions about Zahawi's tax affairs

• Can Zahawi survive tax row inquiry?

He will have no formal role in the agenda - despite the political focus ahead of May's local elections.

It would normally be expected that the chairman would be front and centre in political messaging, particularly in the run up to an election.

But some Conservatives are concerned about the impact the row over his financial affairs is having on the party and government.

Ministers have suggested publicly he will be sacked or have to resign if the PM's ethics adviser finds he has not followed the ministerial code.

There are also questions over whether Mr Sunak should have known more about Mr Zahawi's situation - and the fact he paid a penalty to end a tax dispute - before defending him at Prime Minister's Questions last week.

Sources close to the prime minister say he wants to follow the process and let the ethics adviser look into what happened. But Mr Sunak has also said questions need to be answered and even suggested it would be politically expedient to sack him.

While Mr Sunak has calmed his party after a tumultuous 2022, the PM is finding it hard to escape some of the rows over propriety and standards.

That is a political headache; even if some relate to a period before Mr Sunak became prime minister, the PM has made cleaning up his party's image a key priority.

He will be judged on whether he delivers the high bar of integrity and professionalism he promised on the steps of Downing Street.

The away day is being held at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence in Buckinghamshire

At Chequers, Downing Street said ministers would be focused on the five priority areas set out in Mr Sunak's new year's speech, including tackling price rises, growing the economy, cutting NHS waiting lists and stopping small boats crossing the Channel.

The political cabinet meeting was also due to have a presentation from the Conservative strategy guru, Isaac Levido, one of the masterminds of the party's election victory in 2019.

He is back playing a central role in getting Mr Sunak ready for the next general election, which many in Westminster expect in the latter half of next year.

But Mr Levido may have his work cut out in the coming months, with polls suggesting Labour have a considerable lead over the Conservatives.

That and the questions over conduct are the backdrop to today's away day. Oh to be a fly on the wall.