The Business Secretary has been accused of “fabricating his CV” after claiming he was a “solicitor” despite never qualifying.
Jonathan Reynolds had described himself on his website as a solicitor who worked in the Manchester branch of law firm Addleshaw Goddard before becoming an MP.
Speaking to the Commons in 2014, he claimed he “worked as a solicitor in Manchester city centre” before switching careers.
However, he never actually qualified – quitting his training contract to run for Parliament in 2010.
Business Secretary accused of ‘fabricating CV’ after describing himself as a ‘solicitor’ despite never qualifyingPAThis means he was not registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which is required to practice the job in England and Wales.
According to screenshots obtained by political blog Guido Fawkes, his LinkedIn profile had him simultaneously listed as a “solicitor” and a “trainee solicitor” between 2009 and 2010.
In a tweet from 2011, The Business Secretary also seemingly implied he had worked as a solicitor, writing: “Personally, I find being an MP better for work/life balance than being a solicitor and a councillor.”
His Linkedin now only makes reference to his role as “trainee solicitor” at the Manchester law firm.
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A spokesman for the Business Secretary told Guido that his reference to working as a solicitor was a mistake, and that he has tried to make it clear that he was only ever a trainee.
However, the revelations form part of growing controversy surrounding the integrity of Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet after Chancellor Rachel Reeves was also accused of lying on her CV.
It emerged that Reeves had edited her online CV to remove a claim she worked at the Bank of Scotland as an economist between 2006 and 2009.
Her Linkedin was updated to show that her role was in “retail banking”, prompting allegations that she had been “economical with the truth”.
It emerged that Reeves had edited her online CV to remove a claim she worked at the Bank of Scotland as an economist
PA
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick hit out at the Business Secretary for “lying” about his previous role.
Writing on X, Jenrick said: “Reynolds was never a solicitor. Like the Chancellor, the Business Secretary fabricated his CV.”
An archived version of Reynold’s website stated that he “worked as a solicitor in the Manchester office of law firm Addleshaw Goddard”.
However, an updated version reads that he was “offered a training contract to become a solicitor with Addleshaw Goddard LLP in Manchester”.