about how long some of these stories take to come out. we really have to weigh up a lot when it comes to putting a story like this together. it is a tricky process and very intricate. and i know dan neidle will talk a bit about the experience you had with lawyers in this. i should say the hmrc have made very clear they consider, in terms of nadhim zahawi s tax affairs, that it was a careless and not a deliberate error, which is what he has consistently maintained. but the same question to you, dan, from july to now, it is a difficult story to get over the line. what was going on in the meantime? so, i wrote that story and my question was, mrzahawi, did you pay tax on this? his response was to brief on background that the arrangements with this gibraltan company which had received the shares in yougov that i think would have been his, they were justified because his father, through this company, provided the start up capital. and i looked at that in a lot of detail with forensic
company, because his father, through this company, provided the start up capital~ company, provided the start up capital. and i look at that in a lot of detailed capital. and i look at that in a lot of detailed with forensic accountants helping me and decided that what accountants helping me and decided that what he said was not correct, and i that what he said was not correct, and i said that what he said was not correct, and i said so. and then he moved to another, and i said so. and then he moved to another, new and i said so. and then he moved to another, new explanation that his not mentioning start up capital, saying not mentioning start up capital, saying that his father had provided know-how saying that his father had provided know how in the start up of yougov, and two know how in the start up of yougov, and two journalists at the times, billy and and two journalists at the times, billy and george, changed that down and couldn t find support, worked at you
to weigh up a lot when it comes to putting a story like this together. it s a tricky process. it s very intricate. and i know dan neidle will. we ll talk a bit about the experience you had with lawyers in this. i should make clear, of course, that the hmrc has made very clear they consider in terms of nadhim zahawi tax affairs, that it was a careless and not a deliberate error, which is what he s consistently maintained. but i wonder that same question to you, dan. you know, from july to now, it s a difficult story to get over the line. what was going on in the meantime? sorry i wrote that story. and my question was, mr. zahawi, did you pay tax on this? his response was to brief on background that the arrangements with the stapleton company, which had received the shares in yougov that i think would have been his. they werejustified because his father through this company provided the start up capital. and i looked at that in a lot of detail with forensic accountants
helping me and decided that what he said was was not correct. and i said so. and then he moved to another new explanation that his, not mentioning start up capital, saying that his father had provided know how and assistance in starting you go and that was really valuable now two journalists at the times, billy kemper and george greenwood chased that down and couldn t find support. people who worked at yougov, they got an official denial out of you yougov. and then that made me say publicly that i didn t believe the first explanation i would be given the start up capital one for mr. zahawi. and it was that which prompted him to get lawyers to write to me, ordering me to retract that claim. and were you? i was just wondering how you were were you keeping this story alive on social media? were you goading i mean, what were you doing when it came to a back and forward with lawyers? and well, so initially i got. i was out playing with the kids and i got a twitter message