Tulip Siddiq resigns from Treasury ministry over allegations about properties linked to her aunt

This comes after allegations surfaced about properties linked to her aunt, the ousted former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, prompting calls for her to stand aside after she referred herself to the Prime Minister’s ethics tsar.

The MP for Hampstead and Kilburn allegedly lived in properties linked to allies of Ms Hasina although she previously insisted she had “done nothing wrong”. Conservative leader Kemi Baednoch subsequently called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack her over the weekend.

Court documents from Bangladesh also accuse Ms Siddiq of facilitating meetings between Bangladeshi officials and the Russian government concerning the Rooppur nuclear power plant project. It's alleged that the project's cost was inflated by £1 billion, with approximately £3.9 billion embezzled through a network of banks and companies, potentially benefiting Siddiq and her family.

In response to these allegations, Siddiq has referred herself to the UK's independent adviser on ministerial standards, asserting her innocence and commitment to transparency. She said: "I have done nothing wrong and am confident that an independent investigation will confirm this."

Mr Starmer had also expressed confidence in Siddiq's actions, saying: "Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she's now done."

Amid the ongoing investigation, Siddiq cancelled her planned trip to China with a Treasury delegation led by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, opting to remain in the UK to assist with inquiries.