A Treasury minister has apologised after breaking MP rules over her financial interests.
Tulip Siddiq failed to declare income from a London rental property for more than a year. All MPs are required to register interests within 28 days.
Ms Siddiq, now the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, has been reported to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over the breach.
In March the Hampstead and Highgate MP declared she co-owns a flat with her husband which has been rented out since December 2022 for more than £10,000 a year. She had previously already declared income from renting out another London flat.
After finally registering the interest, Ms Siddiq apologised to the Registrar for the error. However the Standards Commissioner has now been urged to investigate the breach.
Tulip Siddiq (pictured) failed to declare income from a London rental property for more than a year
Ms Siddiq, now the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, has been reported to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over the breach
Last year the Commissioner put MPs on notice over late registration of interests, telling them it ‘undermines the registration system. Members are personally responsible for timely registration. Future breaches will be investigated and reported for sanction.’
Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly vowed to beef up integrity in public life. The Prime Minister said this month: ‘People falling short of the required standards will face consequences, as you would expect.’
A spokesman for Labour said: ‘This was an administrative oversight which was declared with the Commons registrar and Tulip apologised as soon as she was made aware of the issue.’
Ms Siddiq is the niece of the authoritarian prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, who introduced a controversial quota system for government jobs.
The decision prompted widespread riots in the country, with more than 130 people so far killed.
Ms Siddiq made a name for herself campaigning for the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from Iran, but was criticised for staying silent on human rights abuses in Bangladesh.
