Siddiq, who also served as economic secretary to the Treasury, stated that her resignation was necessary as the ongoing controversy had become “a distraction from the work of the government.”
The resignation follows increased pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had faced calls to remove Siddiq from her position after she referred herself to the UK’s ethics watchdog. The controversy centered on reports alleging that Siddiq had been living in London properties linked to Hasina. The former Prime Minister of Bangladesh was ousted last year after weeks of intense protests.
While Starmer expressed regret over Siddiq’s departure, he emphasised that Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministerial interests, had found no violations of the Ministerial Code or evidence of financial misconduct.
The controversy surrounding Siddiq intensified last month when she was named in an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh concerning her aunt’s administration.
The inquiry alleged that Siddiq’s family had played a role in securing a controversial 2013 deal with Russia for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. The deal reportedly involved large sums of money being embezzled.
Further questions arose when reports in The Sunday Times and Financial Times revealed that Siddiq had used two London apartments, provided by associates of the Bangladesh Awami League, the party led by Hasina.
Magnus’s report confirmed that Siddiq had not breached ministerial standards but noted that, given her government role, she should have been more cautious about the reputational risks posed by her close family ties to the Bangladesh government.
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