Tulip Siddiq faces probe over undeclared income

‘Tulip has already expressed her regret for the oversight’

• Pramod Thomas
• 01 August, 2024

By: Pramod Thomas

TREASURY MINISTER is under investigation by Parliament’s standards watchdog for allegedly failing to report rental income, reported the Mail on Sunday.

Tulip Siddiq, the economic eecretary to the treasury and Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, is accused of violating the MPs’ code of conduct.

She and her husband began renting out their London flat in December 2022, but the rental income, amounting to at least £10,000, was not disclosed until March 2024, approximately 16 months after the rental agreement commenced, the report said.

According to House of Commons rules, MPs are required to register earnings and other financial interests within 28 days of receipt.

Siddiq’s delayed declaration has been described as a breach of these rules, which are designed to maintain transparency and accountability among MPs. The payments from the rental income were reportedly made to her husband.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, confirmed the opening of an investigation into Siddiq for a potential breach of the MPs’ code of conduct.

The investigation specifically pertains to the “late registration of interests,” a rule violation that Greenberg has previously warned MPs about.

He said that failing to comply with these rules undermines the registration system and that MPs are personally responsible for timely registration.

In response to the investigation, a Labour spokesperson said that Siddiq had apologised for the “administrative error” and would fully cooperate with the investigation.

The spokesperson added, “Tulip has already expressed her regret for the oversight and is committed to ensuring that such an error does not occur again.”

This investigation marks the first such inquiry of the new Parliament. However, it is not the only ongoing investigation by the standards commissioner.

Former Tory MP Bob Stewart is being investigated for failing to declare an interest and for an alleged lack of cooperation with the watchdog’s inquiry.

Andrew Bridgen, a former Tory and Reclaim MP, is being investigated over the registration of his interests, while former Tory MP Sir Conor Burns is under scrutiny for the use of information received in confidence.

During the last Parliament, the Standards Commissioner opened more than 100 investigations into MPs. The majority of these cases were resolved through a procedure known as “rectification,” which allows MPs to correct minor or inadvertent breaches of Commons rules without facing more severe consequences. T

The case of Siddiq has drawn significant attention, particularly in light of recent statements by prime minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer has put MPs on notice regarding ethics and standards, stressing that any breaches of these rules would be met with appropriate consequences. He has also pledged to strengthen the powers of the government’s ethics adviser, allowing for independent investigations into potential breaches of the ministerial code.

Siddiq, 41, has led Labour’s efforts to develop policies for the financial services industry, known as ‘the City’ after the City of London financial district, since 2021.

In May, she said she would push markets regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, to do more to remove barriers to competitiveness and growth.