Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has resigned after controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh. Sir Keir Starmer will face off with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in PMQs at noon.
Wednesday 15 January 2025 06:45, UK
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This is a tale of two ex-ministers: the first ministerial casualties of Sir Keir Starmer’s government, after just six months in power. Spot the difference.
Louise Haigh, the crimson-haired left-wing former transport secretary, was thrown under the bus within hours of Sky News revealing a mobile phone fraud.
Yet Tulip Siddiq, the anti-corruption minister accused of links to corruption, was backed by the prime minister for nearly a month until she bowed to pressure to quit.
Now MPs are making comparisons between the Labour high command’s response to both ex-ministers’ troubles.
And not just by MPs on the left of Sir Keir’s party…
Mauritius’s prime minister is to meet senior government figures, reports have suggested, amid claims that a deal for the UK relinquish control the Chagos Islands is nearing completion.
The UK and Mauritius said they have made “good progress” on a revised agreement, with Mauritian PM Navin Ramgoolam claiming the UK wants it finalised before Donald Trump is sworn in as president on 20 January.
Reports have suggested the future of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia – the largest island in the Chagos archipelago – might be secured for only 50 years rather than the 99 years initially discussed.
Mr Ramgoolam is expected hold a special cabinet meeting on this morning at 6.30am UK time to sign off the deal.
Downing Street would not be drawn into saying whether the 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia base could be shortened as part of the deal.
“Once an agreement is reached, further details of the treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way,” a Number 10 spokesman said.
He insisted the UK would “only agree to a deal that’s in our best interests” and “would never make any agreement that compromises national security”.
Pressed about whether the deal could be reduced to 50 years, the spokesman responded: “As I say, it is a long-term deal. We are not going to agree to a deal, finalise a deal, that is not on our terms, that doesn’t secure the strong protections I just talked about.”
The spokesman also denied the UK was trying to get a deal over the line before Mr Trump is inaugurated as US president.
Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has resigned after controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP is probably best known for campaigning for the release of her constituent, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained in Iran for six years.
The mother-of-two also hit the headlines in 2019 when she delayed having a C-section so she could vote against Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, turning up to parliament heavily pregnant and in a wheelchair.
After giving birth she went on to make history by becoming the first MP to vote by proxy.
Ms Siddiq was first elected to parliament in 2015, in what was then the most marginal seat in the country, and before that served as a local councillor in Camden.
Our political reporter Faye Brown takes an in-depth look at Ms Siddiq’s career, and what has led to her resignation today…
By Megan Baynes, social affairs and health reporter
Women and their partners should be given paid time off work if they experience a miscarriage, MPs have said.
As of April 2020, employees can be eligible for statutory parental bereavement leave, including pay, if they have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, but there is no specific leave for a pre-24 week miscarriage.
The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) is recommending the two-week leave period should now be made available to women who experience a miscarriage, and their partners who support them.
An estimated one in five pregnancies end before 24 weeks, with as many as 20% ending in the first 12 weeks, known as early miscarriage.
The cross-party group of MPs acknowledged that while a “growing number of employers have specific pregnancy loss leave and pay policies” there remains a “very substantial” gap in support.
And while the introduction of baby loss certificates was welcome it “does not go far enough and it should be backed up by statutory support”.
Good morning!
Welcome back to the Politics Hub on Tuesday, 14 January.
Sir Keir Starmer will face Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in Prime Minister’s Questions today, just hours after his Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq quit her role.
She had faced controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh.
Also today, Mauritius’s prime minister is to meet senior government figures, reports have suggested, amid claims that a deal for the UK relinquish control the Chagos Islands is nearing completion.
Reports have suggested the future of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia – the largest island in the Chagos archipelago – might be secured for only 50 years rather than the 99 years initially discussed.
At 7am, the Office for National Statistics will release the inflation data for December.
And the prime minister will today meet with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Downing Street for talks on trade and growth.
We’ll be discussing all of that and more with…
Follow along for the very latest political news.
Thank you for joining for live coverage of today’s events in politics.
The headlines of the day include:
Join us again tomorrow morning for live coverage of UK politics – including PMQs at 12pm.
Rachel Reeves is not having the easiest time reining in the economy.
Last week saw markets turn against Labour’s economic strategy – with the cost of government borrowing surging and the pound dropping to its lowest value against the dollar since November 2023.
On today’s Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our economics and data editor Ed Conway to understand what is causing the UK’s growth to flatline.
And as the global economic landscape continues to respond to world events – including the imminent return of Donald Trump term – what can the beleaguered chancellor do to ensure the economy bounces back?
Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has resigned after controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP is probably best known for campaigning for the release of her constituent, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained in Iran for six years.
The mother-of-two also hit the headlines in 2019 when she delayed having a C-section so she could vote against Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, turning up to parliament heavily pregnant and in a wheelchair.
After giving birth she went on to make history by becoming the first MP to vote by proxy.
Ms Siddiq was first elected to parliament in 2015, in what was then the most marginal seat in the country, and before that served as a local councillor in Camden.
Our political reporter Faye Brown takes an in-depth look at Ms Siddiq’s career, and what has led to her resignation today…
This is a tale of two ex-ministers: the first ministerial casualties of Sir Keir Starmer’s government, after just six months in power. Spot the difference.
Louise Haigh, the crimson-haired left-wing former transport secretary, was thrown under the bus within hours of Sky News revealing a mobile phone fraud.
Yet Tulip Siddiq, the anti-corruption minister accused of links to corruption, was backed by the prime minister for nearly a month until she bowed to pressure to quit.
Now MPs are making comparisons between the Labour high command’s response to both ex-ministers’ troubles.
And not just by MPs on the left of Sir Keir’s party…
The government is set to revive Conservative-era legislation to ensure freedom of speech at universities that it cancelled just days after entering office, Sky News understands.
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 was due to come into force in August, and its aim was to address concerns of “cancel culture” at universities, where certain speakers could find themselves denied a platform over any controversial views they may hold.
But the new education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, pulled the legislation just days before it was due to be implemented, with a Whitehall source saying at the time that it was “an antisemites’ charter” that could have lent a platform to extremists.
There were also concerns that the legislation could have proved “burdensome” on higher education providers as well as the Office for Students (OfS) watchdog.
A government source tonight labelled the Tories’ legislation “an unworkable dog’s dinner”, and said it was “right that we paused and took the time to hear concerns about its impact”.
The source added: “Academic freedom matters more than students not being offended. That’s why we are taking forward the legislation – but crucially, we are making sure it works.
“While the Conservatives chased headlines and prosecuted culture wars, this government is getting on a delivering the change that matters.”
The government’s move was first reported by The Telegraph.
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