Sir Keir Starmer has refused to disclose the “further information” he was instructed about Louise Haigh’s telephone “theft” conviction which led to her stepping down as transport secretary.
The prime minister was requested by Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch what new info “came to light” about Ms Haigh’s conviction, which is now “spent”, for reporting a telephone stolen to police when it was not in 2014.
Nevertheless, she stepped down as transport secretary on Friday after “new information” emerged, Downing Road stated.
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Answering Ms Badenoch’s query at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Sir Keir stated: “I’m not going to disclose private conversations. Further information came to light. The transport secretary resigns.”
The Tory chief accused Sir Keir of getting “knowingly appointed a convicted fraudster to be a transport secretary” and requested: “What was he thinking?”
He stated Ms Haigh “was right, when further information came forward, to resign”.
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Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch confronted off over Louise Haigh at PMQs
However Ms Badenoch accused him of by no means answering questions and permitting somebody convicted of fraud to award pay rises to public sector employees.
“And it looks like he didn’t ask his transport secretary any questions either,” she instructed the Commons.
“The truth is, he appointed a person convicted of fraud to the cabinet.
“The very first thing she did was bung tons of of thousands and thousands of kilos in pay rises to her commerce union associates. Wasn’t this a fraud on the British individuals?”
Ms Badenoch was referring to the 15% pay rise Labour gave prepare drivers shortly after coming to energy in July.
Additionally they gave above-inflation pay rises to a number of different public sector employees, together with academics, most NHS employees and members of the armed forces.
Ms Haigh has declined to say formally if the prime minister knew in regards to the conviction when he appointed his cupboard in July.
Ms Haigh stated the incident arose after she was “mugged while on a night out” in 2013.
She stated she reported the incident to the police and gave officers an inventory of things she believed had been taken – together with a piece cell phone.
Within the interim, she was issued with one other work telephone. When she turned on the unique work gadget, it “triggered police attention and I was asked to come in for questioning”, she stated.
“My solicitor advised me not to comment during that interview and I regret following that advice,” she added.
“Under the advice of my solicitor I pleaded guilty – despite the fact this was a genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain.
“The magistrates accepted all of those arguments and gave me the bottom potential final result (a discharge) out there.”
