Tag: Rushanara Ali

  • Rushanara Ali – 2025 Resignation Letter to Keir Starmer

    Rushanara Ali – 2025 Resignation Letter to Keir Starmer

    The letter of resignation sent by Rushanara Ali to Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 7 August 2025.

    Rushanara Ali
    Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Stepney
    House of Commons
    London SW1A 0AA

    Labour Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Stepney

    7 August 2025

    Dear Prime Minister,

    It is with a heavy heart that I offer you my resignation as a Minister. It has been the honour of my life to have played my part in first securing and then serving as part of this Labour Government. You have my continued commitment, loyalty and support.

    Further to recent reporting, I wanted to make it clear that at all times I have followed all relevant legal requirements. I believe I took my responsibilities and duties seriously, and the facts demonstrate this.

    However, it is clear that continuing in my role will be a distraction from the ambitious work of the government. I have therefore decided to resign from my Ministerial position.

    I am proud to have contributed to the change this government has delivered in the past year. Working alongside the Deputy Prime Minister, we secured record investment in social and affordable housing, and nearly a billion pounds of funding to alleviate homelessness and rough sleeping. I am proud to have delivered this government’s election strategy, leading to legislation that will protect and enhance our democracy, with tough new laws on foreign donations, extending the vote to 16 and 17 year-olds, and tackling harassment and intimidation in public life.

    More widely, I have been proud to serve in a government that is investing in the NHS, rebuilding communities, securing trade deals, delivering jobs and growth, and rebuilding Britain’s place on the world stage. Under your leadership, Britain is showing international leadership on a range of issues, from standing up for Ukraine against Russian aggression, to working with our allies on developing a pathway to end the war in Gaza, including recognition of Palestinian statehood.

    I want to thank you and the Deputy Prime Minister for your support and for giving me the opportunity to serve the British public in this Labour Government.

    Please be assured of my continued support.

    Yours sincerely,

    Rushanara Ali
    Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Stepney

  • Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to IR35 tax regulations on (a) self-employed people and (b) people who own small businesses.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is considering responses to the discussion document published in July on how to improve the effectiveness of the existing intermediaries legislation (IR35). As set out in the discussion document, the Government’s objective is to find a solution that protects the Exchequer and improves fairness in the system without creating disproportionate burdens on business.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department plans to allocate to assist developing countries in tackling tax evasion in each of the next three years.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK is one of the leading international donors on tax and development and contributes considerable resources to build tax capacity in developing countries including to tackle tax evasion. Through the Addis Tax Initiative, DFID has committed to doubling its financial support for tax by 2020.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government was involved in the legal agreement drawn up in 1998 to transfer the estates involved in the Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust to Old Ford Housing Association.

    Gavin Barwell

    We do not know whether Government was involved in drafting the legal agreement itself – this could only be determined at disproportionate cost – but the Government was involved in the development of, and preparatory work leading to, the transfer to Old Ford Housing Association.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the Syrian resettlement scheme is funded through (a) Official Development Assistance and (b) funds from the EU.

    Richard Harrington

    All of the first year costs of the Syrian Resettlement Scheme are funded through Official Development Assistance. None of the costs are currently met using EU funding.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage UK companies to sign up to the Bangladesh Safety Accord.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) has repeatedly called for companies to take responsibility for the working conditions of all those that make their clothes. This has included the Westminster Debate on 30 April, repeat Ministerial visits to Bangladesh, communications around the Rana Plaza anniversary, and numerous meetings with retailers and buyers.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice provided to the Housing Minister prior to authorisation of the stock transfer of the Parkside estates to Old Ford Housing Association.

    Gavin Barwell

    We do not know whether Government was involved in drafting the legal agreement itself – this could only be determined at disproportionate cost – but the Government was involved in the development of, and preparatory work leading to, the transfer to Old Ford Housing Association.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees from Syrian have been accepted into the UK under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme to date.

    Richard Harrington

    The Government has committed to resettling 20,000 Syrian refugees in the lifetime of this Parliament. The Prime Minister has said that we want to see 1,000 refugees brought to the UK by Christmas.

    The first charter flights arrived earlier this month and represent a significant upscaling of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme. We will not be giving a running commentary on numbers. Details are published in the regular quarterly immigration statistics. The statistics published on 26 November include the number of arrivals from July to the end of September 2015.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 33503, in what locations his Department plans to deliver the 400,000 affordable homes referred to in that Answer; and at what level a home will be defined as affordable in (a) London and (b) England.

    Brandon Lewis

    The 400,000 affordable homes will include:

    • 200,000 Starter Homes
    • 135,000 Help to Buy: Shared Ownership homes
    • 10,000 homes which allow tenants to save for a deposit while they rent
    • 8,000 specialist homes for older people and people with disabilities.

    We do not pre-determine how much affordable housing funding is allocated to different areas. Local Authorities will set out their affordable housing requirements as part of the planning process.

    The definition of affordable housing is set out in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6077/2116950.pdf.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff of her Department work on Local Air Quality Management support matters.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    As of 13 September this year there were five staff working on local air quality management in Defra. The Environment Agency also has a team of two people in its Local Authority Unit who provide technical advice to local authority environmental regulators and an environmental permitting Helpdesk service for local authorities.