Property Entanglements: British Minister Tulip Siddiq Under Scrutiny

The British Minister for Urban Affairs, Tulip Siddiq, has referred herself to the government's ethics advisor for ministerial standards. This personal initiative followed reports concerning her property holdings linked to the ousted government of Bangladesh. Sir Keir Starmer announced this development on Monday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated at a press conference that Siddiq had 'acted entirely correctly' in reaching out to Sir Laurie Magnus due to connections between her properties and the environment of the overthrown Bangladeshi government. On Friday, the Financial Times revealed that in 2004 Siddiq became the owner of an apartment near King's Cross without paying for it. The said two-bedroom apartment had been purchased three years earlier by Abdul Motalif for £195,000, a developer with ties to leading figures of the Awami League, the Bangladeshi party led by Sheikh Hasina. Hasina is not only Siddiq's aunt but also a former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Siddiq, active in her role against corruption, has reportedly lived in several properties linked to her aunt. Keir Starmer expressed his confidence in Siddiq: 'I have faith in her and in the process that is now underway.' He added that the new ministerial code of the Labour government allows ministers to invite the advisor to clarify facts. In her letter to Sir Laurie Magnus, Siddiq emphasized that she had 'done nothing wrong' and stressed that many media reports about her financial affairs and her family's connections to the former Bangladeshi government were 'inaccurate.' She invited Magnus to independently ascertain the facts and promised full cooperation. This development means that Siddiq will no longer accompany British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves on her trip to China, opting instead to remain in the United Kingdom for the investigation. A government official stated, 'Tulip wants to stay in the UK to be available to the independent advisor on ministerial standards.' Over the weekend, the Sunday Times reported that Siddiq had lived in another property in Hampstead, which had been transferred to her sister by Moin Ghani — a prominent lawyer and representative of the Awami League in Bangladesh. Insiders confirmed Siddiq's living arrangements.