Tulip Siddiq is on the brink. Last month, Guido was first to reveal the Bangladeshi government’s corruption probe into her family. A series of revelations about UK property links continues to pile on the pressure…
Guido is told by multiple Labour insiders that Starmer’s personal relationship with Siddiq and her family is particularly strong. They are neighbouring MPs. Siddiq endorsed Starmer for selection as a Labour candidate. Their families regularly socialise and have holidayed together. Is that why Starmer is making huge internal efforts to stand by his embattled anti-corruption minister?
Now Guido can reveal Starmer himself went on a trip to visit the now ousted dictator of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, while he was a backbencher. Indeed, one of his first notable actions after being elected was to visit Hasina in Bangladesh. The trip, which was valued at £1,200, was funded by Labour Friends of Bangladesh – a group strongly associated with Tulip Siddiq. Starmer’s Register of Interests reveals the 7-day trip in February 2016 was ‘to meet political leaders and Bangladeshis with connections in my constituency…’
Bangladeshi press reports show Starmer met “Pesident Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and other dignitaries” while in the country. It wouldn’t be the last time…
Starmer went on to meet Hasina again in London once he had become Leader of the Opposition. On September 17th 2022 he had a one-on-one meeting with Hasina in the refined surroundings of Claridges hotel. Reports in the Bangladeshi media suggested Starmer had not raised human rights issues with the then sitting dictator, the aunt of his constituency neighbour. Surely Mr Rules would have raised those issues…
Starmer issued his own statement at the time: “It was a pleasure to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina MP again during her visit to London alongside other world leaders to pay her respects to the Late Queen. We discussed many topics including Bangladesh’s partnership and cooperation with the UK in a range of areas from trade to climate action. Under a Labour government, we will continue to strengthen our ties with international allies like Bangladesh.” Starmer’s personal proximity and entanglement with Tulip Siddiq and her dictator aunt is becoming a major issue in Labour today. Let’s hope he wasn’t involved in any of Siddiq’s financial dealings…
Reform MP Danny Kruger welcomed adult film star Bonnie Blue’s support for the party, adding:
“I’m not going to be judgemental about people who want to vote Reform. We want all the support we can get – quite like Bonnie Blue.”