Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has resigned after controversy over hyperlinks to her aunt’s ousted political motion in Bangladesh.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP might be greatest identified for campaigning for the discharge of her constituent, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained in Iran for six years.
Politics newest: Embattled Metropolis minister leaves authorities
The mother-of-two additionally hit the headlines in 2019 when she delayed having a C-section so she may vote in opposition to Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, turning as much as parliament closely pregnant and in a wheelchair.
After giving start she went on to make historical past by changing into the primary MP to vote by proxy.
Ms Siddiq was first elected to parliament in 2015, in what was then probably the most marginal seat within the nation, and earlier than that served as an area councillor in Camden.
The 42-year-old is a niece of Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in August following an rebellion in opposition to her 20-year management.
In weblog posts written in late 2008 and early 2009, when she was a Labour activist, Ms Siddiq described campaigning together with her aunt within the south Asian nation’s basic election and celebrating her victory.
Picture:
Tulip Siddiq (far left) together with her aunt, Sheikh Hasina (third left), and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a 2013 signing ceremony within the Kremlin. Pic: AP
Ms Siddiq’s maternal grandfather was Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first president, who was assassinated together with most of his household in a navy coup in 1975.
Her mom and aunt survived as a result of they had been overseas on the time – her mom happening to say political asylum within the UK, the place the Labour MP was born.
Ms Siddiq lived in south London till she was 5 then spent 10 years dwelling in numerous elements of Asia, together with India and Bangladesh.
She returned to the UK capital as a young person, the place she has lived ever since.
Picture:
Tulip Siddiq campaigned to assist free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Pic: PA
Ms Siddiq has beforehand described having an “unusual childhood”, when she met the likes of Invoice Clinton and Nelson Mandela.
She mentioned she joined the Labour Social gathering due to the NHS, however dwelling in locations like Bangladesh made it “hard not to be political because politics plays an everyday part in your life”.
Nevertheless, it’s her hyperlinks to the nation’s political dynasty which have introduced her down.
Ms Siddiq has been beneath strain since December, when she was named in court docket paperwork which detailed claims her household embezzled billions of kilos from a nuclear energy undertaking in Bangladesh.
She is alleged to have helped coordinate conferences with the Russian authorities relating to the Rooppur nuclear infrastructure scheme in 2013.
She has additionally come beneath scrutiny over stories she lived in properties in London linked to allies of her aunt.
The Conservatives had referred to as for Ms Siddiq to be sacked, whereas Bangladeshi chief Muhammad Yunus mentioned London properties utilized by the MP must be investigated and handed again to his authorities in the event that they had been acquired by way of “plain robbery”.
What are the allegations in opposition to Ms Siddiq?
The allegations centre on monetary hyperlinks between Tulip Siddiq and political allies of her aunt – the previous prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.
Ms Siddiq presently rents a £2m home in north London owned by a businessman with reported hyperlinks to Ms Hasina’s Awami League occasion.
She additionally owns a flat in central London that the Monetary Occasions stories was gifted to her by an ally of her aunt.
And she or he was registered at one other London property that was transferred to her sister in 2009 by a lawyer who has represented Ms Hasina’s authorities.
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”, however final week referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog.
On the time, Sir Keir Starmer mentioned she had “acted entirely properly” in referring herself to Sir Laurie Magnus, the unbiased ethics adviser, and mentioned he had “full confidence” in her.
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Tulip Siddiq is requested if she’s going to step down
Ms Siddiq returns to the backbenches simply six months after getting a job in authorities.
She was appointed the financial secretary to the Treasury after Labour’s election victory in July.
As the town minister – or anti-corruption minister because the function is usually referred to as – she held accountability for monetary crime and illicit finance.
Earlier than the overall election, she held shadow positions for the Treasury and training departments beneath Sir Keir Starmer.
She was additionally a part of Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cupboard between 2016-17 however resigned over his order to not “block” the invoice to set off Article 50 and begin Britain’s exit from the EU.
