British Minister Tulip Siddiq has resigned from her position overseeing financial services and anti-corruption efforts, following weeks of intense scrutiny surrounding her financial connections to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the recently ousted Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Al Jazeera reports.
The resignation marks a second blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government in as many months, coming amid declining approval ratings.
Siddiq, 42, had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing but ultimately stated in her resignation letter to the Prime Minister that her continued presence in the Treasury office would “be a distraction from the work of the government.” Starmer, while expressing “sadness” at her departure, acknowledged that “no evidence of financial improprieties on your part” had been found.
Siddiq, who was appointed to the key financial services role following the Labour Party’s general election victory in July, had been responsible for implementing measures to combat money laundering. Starmer has moved swiftly to appoint Emma Reynolds, formerly the pensions minister, to fill Siddiq’s vacancy.
The resignation follows investigations in Bangladesh into potential corruption and money laundering involving former Prime Minister Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh since 2009. Hasina and her party have denied any wrongdoing. In December, Siddiq’s name was mentioned as part of the probe into whether her family had siphoned funds from Bangladeshi infrastructure projects. Specifically, the anti-corruption commission is examining irregularities worth billions of dollars concerning the award of a $12.65 billion nuclear power contract, alleging both Hasina and Siddiq may have benefited.
Beyond the direct connection to the investigation, Siddiq has also faced public scrutiny over her use of properties in the United Kingdom. Documents have revealed she resided in a north London property gifted to her family in 2009 by Moin Ghani, a lawyer with ties to Hasina’s government. Further, a report by the Financial Times found she had acquired a separate London property in 2004 without payment from a developer linked to the Awami League, Hasina’s political party.
Hasina herself fled Bangladesh for India following weeks of protests that led to her ousting.
Siddiq’s departure is the second high-profile resignation for Starmer’s government in recent months. Last year, Transport Minister Louise Haigh also stepped down, acknowledging a minor criminal offense unrelated to her ministerial duties that occurred before her time in government.
