Tulip Siddiq, a Treasury minister, has resigned from her position amid pressure over an investigation into corruption in Bangladesh. The former Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate referred herself to Sir Keir Starmer’s standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, but maintains her innocence. Siddiq was the subject of an investigation last month over allegations that her family embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure spending in Bangladesh. Her aunt, the former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, fled into exile after being deposed last year.
During her ministerial role, Siddiq was responsible for tackling corruption in UK financial markets. She has also been criticised for her use of properties in London, which are linked to her aunt’s allies. Despite calls from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to sack Siddiq, Sir Laurie did not identify any evidence of improprieties relating to her actions. However, the investigation did reveal that Siddiq was “not more alert to the potential reputational risks” of her close family’s association with Bangladesh.
Emma Reynolds, another Labour MP, has been appointed as Siddiq’s replacement as Economic Secretary to the Treasury. In his letter to Siddiq accepting her resignation, Sir Keir said the “door remains open”. The prime minister has faced criticism for not sacking Siddiq, but Sir Laurie did not suggest that she should be removed from her position. The investigation also found no evidence of any unusual financial arrangements linked to Siddiq or her husband’s ownership or occupation of the London properties that were subject to media attention.
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