As Westminster cranks back into gear one minister is on precarious ground. Guido revealed late last month that City Minister and Economic Secretary to the Treasury Tulip Siddiq was under investigation by the Bangladeshi Anti-Corruption Commission…
In the days before Christmas “sources close to” Siddiq told the Sunday Times that the allegation she co-ordinated meetings with Bangladeshi and Russian officials are “trumped-up charges” and “completely politically motivated” as the paper provided details of her meeting with the Cabinet Office’s Propriety and Ethics team. This included an explanation that Siddiq was pictured at the signing of a £10 billion nuclear power plant deal with Vladimir Putin becase “she visited Moscow… to see her aunt because it was easier to fly to Russia than Bangladesh.” That is where the British press has left it…
Last week the Bangladeshi ACC involved several other government departments in its investigation, contacting the Chief Adviser’s Office, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Election Commission, and the Department of Immigration and Passports to seek information on Hasina and her family. The BFIU has been asked for “all documents related to local and international transactions” of Siddiq. Bangladeshi investigative paper the Daily Star adds:
“An ACC official said the investigations team has sought personal information about these individuals from the EC and the passport department.“
Labour has been careful not to comment too widely on the matter while Siddiq herself has only penned a small article on her low-profile local activities over Christmas. Starmer is in an awkward position – will Tulip be allowed tocontinue in her brief as corruption minister while being officially investigated by the Bangladeshi government for corruption?
Kemi Badenoch at the 1922-ConHome bash last night:
“I did praise [Burnham] for his stamina, it was amazing. All I had to do was sit back and lie there. I didn’t have to do anything at all…”