Labour minister finally breaks silence after he’s caught lying on CV | UK | News
Labour’s Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has apologised for referring to himself as a solicitor.
This comes following the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) launched two inquiries into his claims that he was a fully qualified solicitor, based on descriptions in Parliament, in his LinkedIn profile, and website.
Reynolds apologised in writing to Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the SRA contacted him about investigating “new information” from recent complaints, and the Prime Minister later accepted his apology.
He told the Daily Mail in New Delhi, where he was discussing a trade deal with India: “I’ve never presented myself as a qualified solicitor.
“I have made repeated references to being a trainee solicitor in government press releases, on social media, covered very extensively in the legal press.”
“For a speech – and I think a tweet or maybe a Facebook post over a decade ago – I don’t think it’s a huge deal, but I should apologise for that, if anyone has misunderstood that, but I don’t think they have.
“I’m doing a job every day for the country, certainly on this trade stuff here in India, and I’m focused on that.”
Reynolds criticised the Conservative Party for launching “personal attacks” aimed at diverting attention from government matters.
During his time in New Delhi, he noted that trade talks with India were progressing well, with a focus on future collaboration.
Reynolds denied any intent to mislead and expressed confidence that no one thought he was falsely presenting himself as a qualified solicitor.
This comes after members of the Conservative Party, including Robert Jenrick, called for an investigation into the matter.