Charities call for Tulip Siddiq’s resignation from anti-corruption role
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Siddiq has referred herself to a watchdog after allegations she lived in homes tied to her aunt’s ousted regime in Bangladesh. Tulip Siddiq should give up her ministerial responsibility for UK anti-corruption policy, a group of charities has said, amid concerns about her links to the former Bangladeshi regime of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina.
The UK Anti-Corruption Coalition – which includes international groups such as Oxfam, Transparency International and Spotlight on Corruption – released a statement on Monday night urging the Treasury minister to hand over her anti-corruption role.
Siddiq, who is also the Treasury minister in charge of financial services policy, is under pressure after weeks of revelations about her links to her aunt’s former regime, including the fact she lived in or owned properties paid for by Hasina’s allies.
Last week, Siddiq referred herself to Laurie Magnus, the prime minister’s adviser on ministerial interests, but the group said she should lose the anti-corruption portfolio regardless of Magnus’s findings. The group said in its statement: “[Siddiq] currently has a serious conflict of interests. The Treasury minister is in charge of the UK’s framework on money laundering regulations and economic crime enforcement, while she also has direct family ties to a deposed regime that may be investigated under that framework.
