Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is accused of firing his anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiqui after Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus condemned the use of properties gifted to him and his family by the South Asian country’s former regime. The pressure is increasing. Ms Siddiq is the niece of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Bangladesh government also raised serious concerns about Ms Siddiq’s ties to ousted Prime Minister Hasina’s regime and demanded an investigation into her corruption case. This followed calls for Ms Siddiq’s resignation in the House, with Conservative leader Kami Badenoch accusing Prime Minister Starmer of appointing “his personal friend as anti-corruption minister” while he “has himself been accused of corruption”. “
Who is Tulip Siddiqui?
Siddiq is the Labor MP for Hampstead and Highgate, and has been a member of the UK Labor Cabinet since May 2015. He currently holds the government post of Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, responsible for addressing corruption in the UK financial markets. Prime Minister Starmer and Ms Siddiq are reportedly friends and constituency neighbours.
The 42-year-old MP is also a long-time supporter of his aunt Hasina, who resigned as Bangladesh’s prime minister last August.
Last Monday, after media reports revealed that the London properties where she lived were gifted by the Awami League, she referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards.
In his letter to the authorities, he said, “I have done nothing wrong.”
After Yunus’s claims, the pressure on Siddiq to resign from the Starmer government has increased. As the Associated Press reports, 10 Downing Street is already searching for his replacement.
Bangladesh accuses Siddiq
In an interview with the Sunday Times last week, Muhammad Yunus claimed Siddiq lived in London properties with his aunt, who is at the center of a corruption investigation. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist, who has led Bangladesh’s interim government since last year, called for an investigation to find out whether the Labor MP benefited from “plain robbery”.
According to a report in The Times, Yunus also wants the houses linked to Siddiq to be investigated as part of the ongoing investigation into fraud and embezzlement and an apology from him.
Following the allegation, Siddiq referred himself to an independent adviser on ministerial standards last Monday and asked for an investigation to be launched, saying he had done nothing wrong.
Younes’ allegations prompted Conservative leader Badenoch to call for Siddiq’s dismissal. He posted on social media: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiqui,” adding that the PM “has appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and he himself has been accused of corruption Is”.
what is the british government doing
When he referred himself to an independent adviser on ministerial standards, Starmer said Siddiq had “acted completely properly” and that he had “confidence in him”.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle also rejected claims that Siddiq should resign while the allegations against him are investigated.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “I think he has done absolutely the right thing, he has referred to it himself, there needs to be an investigation.”
“I think the right way to go through this is to allow the authorities to investigate. We have given those authorities more powers to carry out independent investigations, and you know very well that when it comes to Keir Starmer If so, he will listen to what the officers say,” he added.
