Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade Andrew Griffith MP has written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer asking him to publish the reasons given to him by Jonathan Edwards for "referring to himself as a solicitor when he, in fact, never qualified".
Mr Griffith posted to X:
The Business Secretary has reportedly given the Prime Minister an ‘apology’ of why he lied about being a Solicitor.
I’ve asked the PM why he won’t publish the explanation. What has he got to hide?
Mr Griifith's letter in full:
ANDREW GRIFFITH MP
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR ARUNDEL AND SOUTH DOWNS
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A OAA
Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
Dear Prime Minister,
25th February 2025
Misrepresentations by your Business Secretary
I am writing to you following reports that you have received a written explanation from your Business Secretary, Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP, following his multiple misrepresentations of his professional status - referring to himself as a solicitor when he, in fact, never qualified.
As you will be aware, it is an offence under Section 21 of the Solicitors Act 1974 ("the Act') for anyone to take the title, or use a description, implying that they are a qualified solicitor. Honesty is also one of The Seven Principles of Public Life (principle 1.6).
Mr Reynolds claims that his was an inadvertent mistake although it is of note that this is not a statutory defence under the Act. The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'inadvertent' actions as ones that are unintentional'. Since Mr Reynolds misrepresented himself on many occasions over a significant period of time in written material, in online posts, at business meetings, in a handwritten election address, and when speaking in Parliament - I am sure there are many adjectives that could be used to describe his conduct but unintentional' is not one of them.
Will you, in the interests of transparency:
(i) Publish the explanation which you have reportedly received from Mr Reynolds;
(ii) Confirm whether you have sought the advice of your Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards (whose role is there for this purpose); and
(iii) Explain why you judge that no further action on this serious matter was appropriate.
YouGov report that 4 out of 5 survey respondents do not trust your premiership. The British public expect honesty from politicians. You wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in March 2023 that "No-one [will be] above the law" and that that principle "will drive [your] government". I hope that you stand by these statements.
Kind regards,
Andrew Griffith MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
N.B. In addition to responding as a correspondence letter, please also consider this a further request for this information under the Freedom of Information Act.
E-MAIL: ANDREW.GRIFFITH.MP@PARLIAMENT.UK
https://twitter.com/griffitha/status/1894427795628912723
