Josh Simons Resigns Amid Controversy Over Investigation into Journalists
Josh Simons has resigned from his position as Cabinet Office minister after a controversy surrounding a thinktank he previously led. Labour Together, a thinktank Mr Simons ran before entering government, allegedly paid a public relations firm, Apco, £36,000 to investigate journalists who had reported negatively on the organisation. The Sunday Times reported that Apco produced 'deeply personal and false claims' about journalists Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke, suggesting links to Russian conspiracies and hacked emails. In his resignation letter, Simons defended his actions, claiming he had hired Apco to investigate a potential illegal hack, not to smear journalists. Simons was cleared of breaching the ministerial code, but acknowledged that his continued position was becoming a 'distraction.' Sir Keir Starmer expressed regret over the resignation, while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Starmer for not dismissing the minister earlier. The resignation follows revelations about the failure to declare significant donations by the thinktank, a group linked to Starmer’s leadership campaign.
