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British City minister Tulip Siddiq has referred the government’s ministerial standards adviser over her assets, Sir Keir Starmer revealed on Monday.
The UK prime minister told a news conference on Monday that the minister had “done absolutely the right thing” by leaving Sir Laurie Magnus in light of reports of links between her assets and the ousted Bangladesh government.
The FT revealed on Friday that Siddiq became the owner of a two-bedroom flat near King’s Cross in 2004 without paying for it.
The property was bought three years earlier for £195,000 by Abdul Motalif, a developer with links to senior figures in the Awami League, the Bangladeshi party led by Sheikh Hasina, Siddiq’s aunt and the country’s former prime minister.
Siddiq, who is responsible for fighting corruption, lived in several properties linked to her aunt. Sheikh Hasina and her party have been accused of siphoning funds from the country’s banking system, although they deny this.
Starmer said of Siddique: “I have confidence in her and the process that will now take place”, adding that the Labor government’s new ministerial code “allows ministers to ask an adviser to establish the facts”.
In her letter to Magnus, Siddiq said she had “done nothing wrong”.
She told him: “In recent weeks I have been the subject of media reports, mostly inaccurate, about my financial affairs and my family’s links to the former Bangladeshi government.”
“For the avoidance of doubt,” she added. “I would like you to independently establish the facts of these matters. Obviously I’ll make sure you have all the information you need for this.”
The government confirmed on Monday that Siddiq will no longer accompany British Chancellor Rachel Reeves on a trip to China planned for this week.
A government official said: “Tulip wants to be in the UK so she is available to assist the Independent Advisor on Ministerial Standards.”
Over the weekend, the Sunday Times reported that Siddiq was living in another property in Hampstead that Moin Ghani, now a prominent lawyer who represented the Awami League-led government of Bangladesh, had transferred to his sister.
People familiar with Siddiq’s situation confirmed her living arrangement.
