Tulip Siddiq resigns as Treasury minister
Bangladesh Finance Minister Tulip Siddique has resigned amid growing pressure from an anti-corruption probe.
She turned to the prime minister’s standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, for help after being asked about the contact with her aunt, who was ousted as Bangladesh’s prime minister last year.
Sir Lawrie said he found “no evidence of wrongdoing” but it was “regrettable” that Siddiq had not been more vigilant about the “potential reputational risks” posed by his relationship with his aunt.
Siddique said continuing in her role would “distract the government’s attention” but insisted she had done nothing wrong.
In a letter accepting Siddique’s resignation, Sir Keir said “the door remains open to her”.
Siddiq’s ministerial portfolio includes tackling corruption in Britain’s financial markets, Last month, he was named in an investigation into his family’s misappropriation of up to £3.9 billion in infrastructure spending in Bangladesh..
Her aunt is former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League Chairman Sheikh Hasina, who went into exile after being deposed last year.
Siddique, the Labor MP for Hampstead and Highgate, has also come under scrutiny for using London properties linked to her aunt’s allies.
this British “Financial Times” report One of the properties, an apartment in Kings Cross, was given to her by a man with links to the recently overthrown Bangladeshi government.
According to the Mail on SundayIn 2022, Siddique denied the apartment was a gift, insisted her parents bought it for her, and threatened the newspaper with legal action to prevent the report from being published.
Labor sources later told the newspaper that the apartment was given to Siddiq by a property developer who was allegedly linked to Siddique’s aunt.
Sir Lawrie spent eight days investigating the allegations after Siddiq reported him to the standards watchdog.
In the letter, Sir Lawrie said it was an “unfortunate misunderstanding” that led Siddiq to publicly correct “the origins of ownership after she became minister”.
Lord Lawrie said Siddique “acknowledged that for a long period of time she was unaware of the origin of her ownership of the apartment in Kings Cross, despite signing a land registration transfer form relating to the gift”.
He said the councilor “still believes her parents gave her the apartment and purchased it from the previous owner”.
Sir Lawrie added that this resulted in the public being “inadvertently misled” about the identity of the apartment donor.
Sir Laurie said in the letter: “Unfortunately, due to a lack of records and the passage of time, I am unable to obtain full comfort on all UK property-related matters mentioned in the media.”
“However, I have found no evidence of wrongdoing in relation to actions taken by Ms Siddiq and/or her husband in relation to their ownership or occupation of the London properties, which have been the subject of media attention.
“Similarly, I have found no indication of any unusual financial arrangements in relation to Ms Siddiq’s ownership or occupation of relevant property involving the Awami League (or its affiliated organizations) or the State of Bangladesh.
“Furthermore, I have found no evidence that Ms. Siddiq and/or her husband’s financial assets (as disclosed to me) came from any source other than legal sources.”
In a reply to Siddique, Sir Keir said he accepted her resignation “with sadness” and thanked her for her “commitment” as minister.
He said Sir Lawrie had assured him that “he had found no breach of the ministerial code and there was no evidence of financial misconduct by (Siddique)”.
Sir Keir’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency borders Tulip Siddique’s Hampstead and Highgate constituency.
They were both first elected to parliament in 2015 and maintain a close working relationship.
Labor MP Emma Reynolds has been appointed as the new economic secretary to the Treasury, replacing Siddiq.
Reynolds first became a councilmember in 2010 before losing her seat in 2019. After a spell as managing director of a financial and professional services lobbying firm, she returns to parliament at the 2024 general election.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenock said the prime minister had “dithered and delayed protecting” Siddique.
write on XShe said: “It was clear over the weekend that the anti-corruption minister’s position was completely untenable. Yet Keir Starmer was dithering and stalling to protect his close friends.”
“Even now, as Bangladesh files a criminal case against Tulip Siddique, he expresses ‘sadness’ over her inevitable resignation.
“Weak Prime Minister has weak leadership.”
Additional reporting by Tom MacArthur
