Analysis: Rishi Sunak has followed all the rules but that doesn't mean it's not wrong

It’s fair to say Rishi Sunak has not had a particularly good week.

The Chancellor’s wife has been revealed to have non-dom status, he’s been caught out for having a US green card, and we’ve gone from dishy to fishy in record time.

Mr Sunak, an MP since 2015, released a statement on Friday admitting holding a permanent resident card to the States until around October – 12 months after becoming Chancellor, in February 2020.

This is, in my informed political opinion as someone who covers politics professionally, absolutely unbelievable.

Just days ago Mr Sunak was defending his wife’s status as a non-dom saying he would never give up his British citizenship.

It now emerges he’s been registered as a permanent resident in the US while living in Downing Street.

Mr Sunak said his wife was entitled to use the non-dom arrangement as she is an Indian citizen and plans to move back to her home country to care for her parents.

He continued to file US tax returns, “but specifically as a non-resident, in full compliance with the law”.

This, much like his wife’s Akshata Murty residency, were not against the rules, but they cast a shadow over the chancellor.

The chancellor is setting rules that are obviously not fit for purpose, and we are are now in the ludicrous position where the public is being hit with the highest tax burden in forever, but ministers are defending billionaires .

It seems even Boris Johnson, the great defender of the indefensible cannot quite bring himself to fully support his chancellor.

The Prime Minister is talking about keeping family out of these things if possible, which is hardly a full-throated defence.

Mr Sunak’s actions while perfectly legal are questionable, and raise questions his colleagues will now have to decide if they want answers to.

For most of the public, the workings of non-dom status or green cards will be alien, but ultimately you pay all your tax in Britain, or you don’t.

The chancellor will need more than just slick videos if he is to explain what is going on.