Growing pressure on Sir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer is facing increasing pressure to clarify why Louise Haigh was appointed as Transport Secretary despite her fraud conviction. Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart has demanded transparency regarding when the Prime Minister was informed about Haigh's criminal past.
Resignation and questions raised
Louise Haigh resigned from her position as Transport Secretary after admitting to falsely reporting her work phone stolen in 2013. The incident led to a fraud conviction in 2014, which she described as a "mistake." Questions have been raised about why her conviction did not prevent her appointment in July and whether the Propriety and Ethics Team was informed at the time.
Refusal to disclose information
Downing Street has declined to confirm whether Sir Keir knew about Haigh's conviction when appointing her to the Cabinet. The Prime Minister's deputy spokesman stated that her resignation was accepted, acknowledging that the issue could impact the Government's work. The source close to Haigh claims that Sir Keir was aware of the incident when she joined his Shadow Cabinet.
Haigh's admission and replacement
Haigh admitted to misleading the police and expressed regret for the error. She has been replaced by Labour MP Heidi Alexander, the former Deputy Mayor of London for Transport. Haigh's conviction, now classified as "spent," dates back to the incident in 2013 when she falsely reported her work phone as stolen.
