UK politics: Starmer says ‘door remains open’ for Tulip Siddiq following her resignation as Treasury minister – as it happened

These comments are shockingly offensive and irresponsible. Kemi Badenoch is the leader of the opposition – she should know better than to peddle this backwards Islamophobia which only leads to division and hatred in our communities, and drives support for the far right.

Keir Starmer and his Iraqi counterpart, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, signed a trade agreement when they met in No 10 today. They also agreed “the principles of a specific returns agreement … to ensure those who have no right to be in the UK can be returned swiftly”, No 10 said.

As PA Media reports, protesters could be heard shouting outside the gates of Downing Street as Starmer welcomed Sudani outside No 10. One could be heard to shout: “Are you gambling with our lives?”

And protesters chased Sudani’s car down Whitehall as it left. One of them could be seen to throw a projectile at one of the vehicles in his convoy, though the missile appeared to miss.

Farman Haji, a member of the group called the Dakok Organisation for Rights and Freedom, which organised the protest, told PA that Iraqi lives would be “in danger back home” if they were returned. He added:

We want to save a thousand, thousand lives in UK … Iraqi people, to not send them back home. That is what we here today for.

Dakok is a registered charity in the UK which is intended to serve members of the Kurdish community living in Britain.

Opposition MSs have called for the Welsh first minister to back an inquiry into grooming gangs, in a tense exchange in the Senedd, PA Media reports. PA says:

Darren Millar, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, repeatedly asked Eluned Morgan if she will support a national or Wales-wide inquiry.

The debate was heated, with Morgan accused of dodging the question, while Millar was told to “tone it down” by the Llywydd – the Senedd’s presiding officer.

Speaking during first minister’s questions on Tuesday, Millar said: “We know that people up and down Wales are talking about this issue. They need assurances that both the Welsh and the UK governments, along with the police and social services, are doing all that they can to prevent young girls in Wales from becoming victims of grooming gangs.

“They want to know that justice will be served against the perpetrators of these crimes, but they can only have those assurances if we know the full extent of the problems that we have here in Wales and the actions which are being taken by everybody to address them.”

Morgan refused to say whether she supports a new inquiry and was accused of not answering the question by Mr Millar.

She said: “I think it is important when we’re discussing sensitive issues like this that we think first of the victims, and many have endured dreadful abuse. It’s really important we stand with them and by them when we seek justice.

“It’s really disappointing that this issue has been politicised to a point where people working for humanitarian organisations and children in school feel threatened, and I really hope we can tone down the rhetoric on this issue.”

Kemi Badenoch has said Keir Starmer “dithered and delayed” to try to keep Tulip Siddiq in office and that this showed “weak leadership”. She has posted this reaction to the resignation on social media.

It was clear at the weekend that the anti-corruption minister’s position was completely untenable. Yet Keir Starmer dithered and delayed to protect his close friend.

Even now, as Bangladesh files a criminal case against Tulip Siddiq, he expresses ‘sadness’ at her inevitable resignation.

Weak leadership from a weak Prime Minister.

And here is Keir Starmer’s reply to Tulip Siddiq. He says he appreciates her decision to “end ongoing distraction” and says that “the door remains open” for her going forward – implying she could return to government at some point.

No 10 has announced a mini-reshuffle following the resignation of Tulip Siddiq.

Emma Reynolds will replace her as economic secretary to the Treasury. Reynolds was pensions minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, but also combined being a DWP minister with being a junior Treasury minister.

And her job will go to Torsten Bell, the former chief executive of the Resolution Foundation thinktank and former head of policy for Ed Miliband who became an MP at the election. He had been a parliamentary private secretary to Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister.

And her is the letter to the PM about Tulip Siddiq from Sir Laurie Magnus, the PM’s ethics adviser (or independent adviser on ministerial standards, to use the more formal title.).

Referring to the controversy about the fact that Siddiq has benefited from a series of properties paid for by people linked to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was prime minister of Bangladesh but who was deposed last year and is now facing charges of corruption and crimes against humanity, Magnus says:

Ms Siddiq acknowledges that, over an extended period, she was unaware of the origins of her ownership of her flat in Kings Cross, despite having signed a land registry transfer form relating to the gift at the time. Ms Siddiq remained under the impression that her parents had given the flat to her, having purchased it from the previous owner. Ms Siddiq recognises that, as a result of this, the public were inadvertently misled about the identity of the donor of this gift in her replies to queries in 2022. This was an unfortunate misunderstanding which led to Ms Siddiq’s public correction of the origins of her ownership after she became a minister.

Magnus says that, although he does not think she has broken the ministerial code, he thinks it is “regrettable” that she was not more alert to the “reputational risks” of her family links with the former government of Bangladesh which has been accused of corruption.

Given the nature of Ms Siddiq’s ministerial responsibilities, which include the promotion of the UK financial services sector and the inherent probity of its regulatory framework as a core component of the UK economy and its growth, it is regrettable that she was not more alert to the potential reputational risks – both to her and the government – arising from her close family’s association with Bangladesh. I would not advise that this shortcoming should be taken as a breach of the ministerial code, but you will want to consider her ongoing responsibilities in the light of this.

Tulip Siddiq, the Treasury minister, has resigned.

She says Laurie Magnus, the PM’s ethics adviser, has said she has not broken the ministerial code. But she is going because if she were to stay she would be a “distraction” to the government.

Here is the letter she has sent to the PM.

Labour claims renters could be spared having to pay up to £8,000 in upfront rent to secure a property as a result of new government amendments to the renters’ rights bill.

MPs are debating the final Commons stages of the bill this afternoon, and the government is beefing it up to include provisions that ban landlords from demanding excessive upfront payments when letting out property.

Addressing MPs, Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, said the changes would “prevent unscrupulous landlords from using rent in advance to either set tenants against each other in de facto bidding wars, or exclude altogether certain types of renters who are otherwise perfectly able to afford the monthly rent on a property”.

He said:

Tenants find and view a property that as advertised matches their budget only to find that on application, they’re suddenly asked to pay several months’ rent upfront to secure it. Tenants in such circumstances almost always confront an impossible choice.

Do they find a way to make a large rent in advance payment, thereby potentially stretching their finances to breaking point? Or do they walk away and potentially risk homelessness if they are unable to find an alternative?

In a briefing note explaining why this could save some renters having to pay up to £8,000 upfront, Labour said:

Currently, there is no limit to how many months’ rent landlords can require tenants to pay upfront to secure a property. This loophole, coupled with high demand for rental properties, has resulted in some landlords asking tenants to pay extortionate sums of money upfront – in the form of several months’ rent – before securing a tenancy.

Deposit protection scheme data shows that, between May and December last year, one in eight surveyed landlords had asked for between four and six months’ rent upfront at one of their properties. Labour analysis of Rightmove and HomeLet data shows that for the average rental property this is the equivalent of between £5,500 and £8,400, excluding security deposits.