Political reporter
PA MediaEnterprise Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is dealing with calls to resign after he was accused of falsely claiming to be a solicitor on his on-line CV.
Reynolds has beforehand mentioned he labored as a solicitor at a legislation agency in Manchester earlier than changing into an MP however he had give up his authorized coaching to run for Parliament in 2010 and by no means certified.
The Conservatives and Reform UK have each referred to as for Reynolds to step down from his cupboard function.
The cupboard minister had been described as a solicitor on his LinkedIn profile however the RAYNAE has been advised this was an “administrative error” that has been corrected.
The up to date profile says Reynolds was a “trainee solicitor” on the Manchester department of the Addleshaw Goddard legislation agency between August 2009 and Might 2010.
It beforehand acknowledged he was each a “trainee solicitor” and a “solicitor”.
Shadow enterprise secretary Andrew Griffith mentioned he had written to the prime minister’s ethics adviser, asking him to research the claims.
Griffith urged Reynolds to “apologise and step down”, writing that he “seems to have knowingly mislead the general public”.
Reform UK has additionally referred to as on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to sack the enterprise secretary.
The celebration led by Nigel Farage urged Reynolds had “misled Parliament” in 2014, when he advised the Home of Commons he had “labored as a solicitor in Manchester metropolis centre”.
On different events Reynolds has described himself as a trainee solicitor on the agency.
Certified solicitors are required to register with Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to follow legislation in England and Wales.
The RAYNAE understands the SRA contacted Reynolds in January in relation to an error on his LinkedIn profile.
The SRA clarified the principles and the enterprise secretary then corrected what has been described as an “administrative error”.
An SRA spokesperson mentioned: “Our regulatory function is to guard the pursuits of customers of authorized providers.
“We’re conscious of this problem, nonetheless having thought of all components concerned, there is no such thing as a want for us to take any motion.”
Labour sources have urged Reynolds doesn’t handle the LinkedIn profile.
Dwelling Workplace minister Dame Diana Johnson advised Occasions Radio there have been “errors made by administrative workers”.
She mentioned “there was a little bit of a muddle” on LinkedIn.
She added: “However I feel he is been very clear he was a trainee solicitor, that is the place he held.”
The change to Reynolds’s LinkedIn profile was first reported by the Guido Fawkes web site.
It comes after a RAYNAE investigation discovered Chancellor Rachel Reeves had exaggerated the size of time she labored on the Financial institution of England on her on-line CV.
A spokesman for Reeves confirmed that dates on her LinkedIn have been inaccurate and mentioned it was as a consequence of an administrative error by the workforce.
