Back in December Starmer appointed Margaret Hodge (whom Labour insiders refer to as ‘Hodge the Dodge‘) as the government’s vaunted ‘Anti-Corruption Champion‘ alongside announcing £36 million in funding for National Crime Agency’s work to combat corruption. Funding that, ironically, the NCA is relying on to support its efforts to help the new Bangladeshi government claw back assets allegedly siphoned off from their banking system into the UK – especially into property…
Bangladesh’s new government has so far identified £400 million in UK real estate owned by allies of deposed dictator Sheikh Hasina. The government alleges that billions of dollars have been stolen over Hasina’s years in power. You’d be forgiven for thinking Hodge, whose brief includes “work with government departments to drive the development and delivery of the UK’s Anti-Corruption Strategy“, and engaging with “with external stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society organisations, parliamentarians, and foreign delegations,” would have spoken to officials about Bangladesh’s official corruption investigation into Tulip Siddiq. Has she? Will be a bit awkward when the next delegation from Bangladesh comes for a cup of tea…
You’d also be forgiven for thinking conversations would have been had about the properties which the City minister owns or lived in which happen to have been gifted by figures closely linked to her ousted aunt, as the UK media has extensively reported this week. As it turns out both Hodge and Downing Street have no comment when approached by Guido…
Guido also contacted the Home Office to ask if its Joint Anti-Corruption Unit, which sits in on all of the ‘Anti-Corruption Champion’s’ meetings and organises her work, had initiated any discussion or action in relation to Siddiq. The query was elevated to the Treasury and then again to the Cabinet Office, who refused to comment: “The Minister has referred herself to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards to establish the facts. We would not comment on any ongoing process.” Funny that…
Worse still the terms of reference for Hodge’s role, slipped out over the Christmas break, do not even require her to publicly report on her work – her activities as the anti-corruption champion will, incredibly, be kept confidential by the Government. Labour is trying its very hardest to stick its head in the sand over Siddiq’s increasingly shaky position…
Lord Khan in the Telegraph: “I hope, and I say this in a non-pompous way, that the public service I do will bring rewards in this world and the hereafter,” he says. “I’m hoping the work I do is earning me Brownie points.”