Britain's anti-corruption minister has resigned from her position as economic secretary to the Treasury amidst a controversy surrounding her familial ties to ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The minister, Tulip Siddiq, stated that the issue was becoming a distraction from the government's work, prompting her decision to step down.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced mounting pressure to remove Siddiq from her post after she self-referred to the U.K. government's ethics watchdog. This action followed reports suggesting that Siddiq resided in London properties associated with her aunt, Hasina, who was removed from office last year following widespread protests.
Starmer expressed regret over Siddiq's resignation, citing the findings of the independent adviser on ministerial interests, Laurie Magnus, who concluded that there was no breach of the Ministerial Code or evidence of financial improprieties on Siddiq's part.
Siddiq, responsible for combating corruption in financial markets, was recently implicated in an anti-corruption probe in Bangladesh involving her aunt. The investigation alleged that Siddiq's family played a role in brokering a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, during which significant sums of money were reportedly misappropriated.
Further scrutiny arose regarding Siddiq's connections to her aunt's government following reports in prominent newspapers alleging that she had been gifted two London apartments by associates of Bangladesh's ruling Awami League, led by Hasina.
Magnus acknowledged that Siddiq had not violated ministerial standards but noted that given her governmental role, it was unfortunate that she had not been more vigilant about the potential reputational risks stemming from her close family's ties to Bangladesh.
