Cabinet minister defends conduct of Siddique’s investigation

A Cabinet minister has defended the government’s handling of the investigation into Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiqui ahead of her resignation on Tuesday.

Siddiq resigned when the Prime Minister’s standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, ruled that he had not broken the ministerial code, but had “disclosed to the public about a flat gifted by his aunt, an aide to the deposed former Prime Minister of Bangladesh”. “Inadvertently misled”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the prime minister acted and delayed in protecting her.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said the inquiry was evidence that an enhanced independent process for assessing ministerial standards “is working”.

On BBC Breakfast, Jones argued that the investigation “happened very quickly, and the process was followed properly – that’s good for the government”.

Jones said the investigation was “more effective and efficient”. Sir Keir Starmer’s reforms For the role of Standards Advisor.

“It’s clear that our new independent process is working,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Jones said that while he would be happy to see Siddiq return to government, “there is no question of inappropriate behavior on his part”.

“The Prime Minister has made clear that the decision to step down was his, and in the circumstances it was the right decision.”

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Conservative Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride argued that the Prime Minister “should have really stepped in and fixed this sooner”.

“It is troubling… that it took so long to reach this clear conclusion,” he said.

Sir Laurie spent eight days investigating the allegations after Siddiq turned himself in to the standards watchdog.

It comes after press reports raised questions about a flat in King’s Cross, north London, owned by Siddiq.

Siddiq, whose role is as Economic Secretary to the Treasury This includes tackling corruption in Britain’s financial markets, Last month he was named in an investigation into claims that his family embezzled up to £3.9bn of infrastructure spending in Bangladesh,

His aunt is former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, head of the Awami League, who fled into exile after being ousted last year.

Siddiq, the Labor MP for Hampstead and Highgate, also came under intense scrutiny over her use of properties linked to her aunt’s associates in London.

Financial Times reported This flat was given to him by a person associated with the recently ousted Bangladeshi government.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Sir Lawrie said Siddiq admitted that, for a long time, she was unaware of the origins of her ownership of her flat in King’s Cross, even though she signed the Land Registry transfer form relating to the gift. Have done. Time”.

He says the MP “was under the impression that her parents had given her the flat, that she had bought it from the previous owner”.

Sir Laurie said this led to the public being “inadvertently misled” about the identity of the flat’s donor.

according to mail on sunday, In 2022 she denied that the flat was a gift and insisted that her parents had bought it for her and threatened the newspaper with legal action to prevent publication of a story.

Labor sources later told the newspaper that the flat was gifted to Siddiq by a property developer who had alleged links to his aunt.

In his letter, Sir Laurie said it was an “unfortunate misunderstanding” that led Siddiq to issue a public correction of “the origins of his ownership after becoming minister”.

In a letter accepting Siddiq’s resignation, Sir Keir said the “door will remain open” to him.

writing on xKemi Badenoch said: “It was clear over the weekend that the anti-corruption minister’s position was completely untenable. Yet Keir Starmer delayed and delayed to protect his close friend.

“Even now, when Bangladesh has filed a criminal case against Tulip Siddiqui, he expresses ‘sorrow’ over her inevitable resignation.”