Minister faces calls to resign over solicitor CV claim

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is facing calls to resign after he was accused of falsely claiming to be a solicitor on his online CV.

Reynolds has previously said he worked as a solicitor at a law firm in Manchester before becoming an MP but he had quit his legal training to run for Parliament in 2010 and never qualified.

The Conservatives and Reform UK have both called for Reynolds to step down from his cabinet role.

The cabinet minister had been described as a solicitor on his LinkedIn profile but the BBC has been told this was an "administrative error" that has been corrected.

The updated profile says Reynolds was a "trainee solicitor" at the Manchester branch of the Addleshaw Goddard law firm between August 2009 and May 2010.

It previously stated he was both a "trainee solicitor" and a "solicitor".

Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said he had written to the prime minister's ethics adviser, asking him to investigate the claims.

Griffith urged Reynolds to "apologise and step down", writing that he "appears to have knowingly mislead the public".

Reform UK has also called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to sack the business secretary.

The party led by Nigel Farage suggested Reynolds had "misled Parliament" in 2014, when he told the House of Commons he had "worked as a solicitor in Manchester city centre".

On other occasions Reynolds has described himself as a trainee solicitor at the firm.

Qualified solicitors are required to register with Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to practice law in England and Wales.

The BBC understands the SRA contacted Reynolds in January in relation to an error on his LinkedIn profile.

The SRA clarified the rules and the business secretary then corrected what has been described as an "administrative error".

An SRA spokesperson said: "Our regulatory role is to protect the interests of users of legal services.

"We are aware of this issue, however having considered all factors involved, there is no need for us to take any action."

Labour sources have suggested Reynolds does not manage the LinkedIn profile.

Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson told Times Radio there were "mistakes made by administrative staff".

She said "there was a bit of a muddle" on LinkedIn.

She added: "But I think he's been very clear he was a trainee solicitor, that's the position he held."

The change to Reynolds's LinkedIn profile was first reported by the Guido Fawkes website.

It comes after a BBC investigation found Chancellor Rachel Reeves had exaggerated the length of time she worked at the Bank of England on her online CV.

A spokesman for Reeves confirmed that dates on her LinkedIn were inaccurate and said it was due to an administrative error by the team.