Why Tulip Siddiq’s resignation matters to Bangladeshis more than the British

Tulip Siddiq, a minister from the UK’s ruling Labour Party, resigned from her position as the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister after being implicated in an investigation regarding the alleged embezzlement of £3.9 billion from Bangladesh's infrastructure projects. The accusation is that her family was involved in the misappropriation of these funds. Following the involvement of her name in a corruption investigation in Bangladesh, pressure had been mounting for her resignation. Recently, she, along with her mother, brother, sister, and aunt, has been accused in a corruption case in Bangladesh. However, Tulip Siddiq has consistently denied the allegations.

The Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, Tulip Siddiq, had brought the entire matter to the attention of Sir Laurie Magnus, the British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Standards Advisor. She also emphasized that she had done nothing wrong. However, it is clear that her role as the Treasury's Economic Secretary could distract from the government’s work. Labour MP Emma Reynolds has been appointed as the new Economic Secretary to the Treasury. Tulip Siddiq was elected as MP for Hampstead and Highgate in North London in 2015, a constituency adjacent to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s seat, Holborn and St Pancras. As a minister, Tulip Siddiq was responsible for tackling corruption in the UK's financial markets.

Last month, her family members were named in an investigation in Bangladesh regarding the alleged embezzlement of up to £3.9 billion from infrastructure spending. Her aunt is Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the leader of the Awami League.

After being ousted from power last year, her aunt was forced to flee to India. Siddiq has faced intense scrutiny due to her association with properties linked to her aunt’s allies in London. Tulip Siddiq insists that she has done nothing wrong, but Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for her dismissal from her ministerial role. After accepting her resignation, Sir Keir Starmer wrote in a letter that "the door remains open" for her. Independent advisor on ministerial standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, stated that he could not find any evidence of wrongdoing related to Siddiq. Regarding ownership or control of properties in London, he found no evidence of any misconduct by Tulip Siddiq or her husband, despite the matter becoming a subject of media attention.

Theoretically, Tulip Siddiq’s resignation as a junior minister in the Treasury could be a political blow for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. However, it is not a major crisis. Tulip is a relatively low-profile politician; she is not among the top-tier figures. Her name is not widely recognized by the general public, so she can easily be sacrificed politically. However, in reality, her resignation will not change the government’s policy direction. Naturally, this is a difficult personal moment for Tulip, but for the British public, it is a trivial issue, and that is to be expected. Very few ministers deeply impact the general public’s memory. Among them, only a few resignations are remembered. For most ministers, the context of their resignation fades over time. This will also be the case for Tulip Siddiq.

However, there are important lessons to be learned from her departure. Siddiq brought her downfall upon herself. She should have known that questions might arise regarding her London flat and properties. She should have understood that since she aspired to be a minister, especially one responsible for fighting corruption, she needed to ensure complete transparency; but she failed to do so. When Tulip Siddiq was a minister, her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Given this, the significance of the situation increases. Her maternal grandfather was the first president of Bangladesh. Her aunt, Hasina, had followed increasingly authoritarian policies for 15 years. In August, a month after the Labour Party's victory in the UK, she was ousted from power.

Siddiq should have taken a bolder and more active role before and after Hasina's downfall to ensure that no questions or suspicions arose about her personal and political activities. However, she is not solely to blame for what has happened now. In the 2024 elections, the Labour Party campaigned with a promise to restore public trust in politics. Political reform was highlighted as a key promise in their election manifesto. Prime Minister Starmer had earlier appointed Sue Gray, who was tasked with preparing the party to govern. One of her main responsibilities was to rigorously scrutinize the financial status of potential ministers and their associations with suspicious companies or figures. The Labour Party should have prioritized rescuing politics and government from the deep crisis it was facing.

However, that did not happen. Instead, when questions were raised in 2022 about Siddiq’s property, the Labour Party rallied to protect her. This became a kind of trend. Under the leadership of Starmer and Gray, the Labour Party showed indifference towards sensitive matters involving the party's top leaders. Senior leaders such as Starmer, Angela Rayner, and Rachel Reeves accepted gifts related to housing, clothing, and entertainment. When these matters were questioned, instead of apologizing or taking steps to tighten rules, they tried to avoid the issues.

The Siddiq case reflects the same trend. Recently, the independent advisor reviewing ministers' ethical standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, stated in his report that Tulip Siddiq could not be blamed for her close ties with Sheikh Hasina. However, this relationship placed her at risk of being implicated in accusations of complicity in criminal activities. Unfortunately, she was not sufficiently cautious about the potential reputational risks for herself and the government. While this is stated in mild terms, it is a very serious issue.

Overall, Keir Starmer must also take responsibility for this failure. While in opposition, he emphasized credibility and integrity, but after becoming Prime Minister, he did not prioritize these values. He delayed publishing updates to the ministerial code of conduct, which should have been done on his first day in office. It appears that Tulip Siddiq did not violate the ministerial code of conduct, but investigator Sir Laurie Magnus did not fully exonerate her either. According to the rules, ministers should avoid situations where personal interests might conflict with their governmental responsibilities. However, this rule is weak and ambiguous, and there may be a need to strengthen it further.

The decline in public trust in politics is not only the fault of politicians, but the media has also played a significant role. Both mainstream and social media have put leaders in positions where their political mistakes are relentlessly exposed. Often, even small incidents are blown out of proportion. For example, a minor reduction in inflation from 2.6 per cent to 2.5 per cent is sometimes presented as a major success, despite being a normal fluctuation. Tulip Siddiq’s resignation, while stemming from personal errors, is actually part of a larger political issue. Her mistakes are not as severe as corruption, but they are a result of carelessness and mismanagement.

In the past, ministers could survive scandals, but in today’s political climate, even small mistakes are met with severe consequences. Her case demonstrates that the environment has become more challenging for politicians, and it proves that many modern politicians are not adequately skilled at navigating such a tough environment. Over the past 15 years, Sheikh Hasina, who led Bangladesh, was often seen as an authoritarian figure, with her government harshly suppressing dissent. After Hasina fled the country, the new government of Bangladesh leveled many charges against her. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh has issued an arrest warrant against her for crimes against humanity. These offenses occurred during government opposition movements that saw hundreds of deaths in violent clashes.

Additionally, arrest warrants have been issued for 45 other former ministers, who have also fled the country. While Hasina may have escaped after fleeing, her actions have also severely damaged the bright future of Tulip Siddiq in the UK. Furthermore, it will remain a significant blow to Bangladesh's image and reputation, making its mark in history.

Rayhan Ahmed Tapader: Researcher and Columnist.