Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has apologised to the prime minister for stating that he had worked as a solicitor despite never being admitted to the profession, it emerged today. The former trainee at Addleshaw Goddard said he had used the term as 'shorthand' in parliament in 2014 and that his identification as a solicitor in a LinkedIn profile had been an 'administrative error'. 

A row about the MP's use of the professional title escalated this week when Reform party leader Nigel Farage said he would bring a private prosecution under the Solicitors Act. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith yesterday demanded the publication of Reynolds' letter to Sir Keir Starmer, as well as an explanation of why Starmer judged 'that no further action on this serious matter was appropriate'. 

Jonathan Reynolds

Reynolds has apologised to the prime minister for stating that he had worked as a solicitor

Reynolds was employed by the Manchester office of Addleshaw Goddard from August 2009 to May 2010, leaving to become an MP after the 2010 general election.  

Under the Solicitors Act 1974 'Any unqualified person who wilfully pretends to be, or takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is, qualified or recognised by law as qualified to act as a solicitor shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the fourth level on the standard scale.'

  • An earlier version of this article incorrectly quoted the pre-1982 wording of s21 of the Solicitors Act, which set a maximum fine of £50.