The solicitors’ watchdog has mentioned it can now examine claims Enterprise Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has made about his authorized profession.
The Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) initially mentioned there was “no need to take any action” after Mr Reynolds was accused of misrepresenting his previous work as a lawyer.
The enterprise secretary labored for Addleshaw Goddard LLP in Manchester as a trainee solicitor earlier than he was elected as Labour MP in 2010 and by no means certified as a solicitor.
Mr Reynolds has been accused of describing himself as a solicitor on a number of events – together with on his LinkedIn web page, within the Commons and on an outdated constituency web site that’s now not on-line – when he had really solely labored as a trainee.
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The SRA contacted the enterprise secretary in January about an error on his LinkedIn profile which was then corrected, it’s understood, and the regulator mentioned that having thought of “all factors involved, there is no need for us to take any action.”
Nevertheless, in a contemporary assertion issued right now, a spokesperson for the SRA mentioned: “We checked out that difficulty on the time we grew to become conscious of it and contacted Mr Reynolds in regards to the profiles.
“The materials were corrected, and we closed the matter with no further action based on all the evidence we had at the time.
“Nevertheless, we have now grow to be conscious of additional info, so we’ll have a look at this.”
The SRA’s contemporary resolution comes after shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick wrote to the SRA asking it to research.
He has additionally urged Sir Keir Starmer to take motion in opposition to Mr Reynolds, saying: “As a former director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer would not want to attend – he ought to be capable to decide from the proof earlier than him that Reynolds would not have a leg to face on and sack him.”
Shadow enterprise secretary Andrew Griffith additionally wrote to the unbiased adviser on ministerial requirements, Sir Laurie Magnus, asking him to open an investigation into potential breaches of the ministerial code.
The Labour Occasion has been approached for remark.
