London: UK Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq has resigned after growing pressure over an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh, British media reported on Tuesday. The Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate had referred herself to Sir Keir Starmer's standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, but insisted she has done nothing wrong.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Siddiq stated that while Sir Laurie found she had not breached ministerial rules, it was "clear that continuing in my role as Economic Secretary to the Treasury is likely to be a distraction from the work of government." Labour MP Emma Reynolds has been appointed as the new Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
Siddiq's ministerial responsibilities included tackling corruption in UK financial markets. However, she was named last month in an investigation into claims her family embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure spending in Bangladesh. Her aunt, the former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, head of the Awami League, fled into exile after being deposed last year.
In addition to the investigation, Siddiq has faced intense scrutiny over her use of properties in London linked to her aunt's allies. Despite the allegations, the MP maintains her innocence. Meanwhile, the prime minister has been urged by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to dismiss Siddiq from her ministerial position.