Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has resigned after it emerged she pleaded responsible to an offence associated to incorrectly telling police {that a} work cell phone was stolen in 2013.
In a letter to the prime minister, she described the incident as a “mistake” however mentioned that “whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government”.
She alluded to Sir Keir understanding about this in her resignation letter, telling him: “As you know, in 2013 I was mugged in London. As a 24-year-old woman, the experience was terrifying. In the immediate aftermath, I reported the incident to the police.
“I gave the police a listing of my possessions that I believed had been stolen, together with my work cellphone. A while later, I found that the handset in query was nonetheless in my home.
“I should have immediately informed my employer and not doing so straight away was a mistake.”
Ms Haigh then mentioned that whereas she is “totally committed to our political project,” she believes “it will be best served by my supporting you from outside government”.
The MP for Sheffield Heeley then added: “I am sorry to leave under these circumstances, but I take pride in what we have done.
“I’ll proceed to struggle day-after-day for the individuals of Sheffield Heeley who I used to be before everything elected to characterize and to make sure that the remainder of our programme is delivered in full.”
In response, Sir Keir Starmer thanked Ms Haigh for “all you have done to deliver this government’s ambitious transport agenda” and mentioned: “I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.”
The straight ahead cause for Louise Haigh’s fast resignation
Rob Powell
@robpowellnews
Whereas govt sources insist this resignation was Louise Haigh’s determination, the political climate across the now former transport secretary all the time made strolling from her job a possible final result.
In addition to being the primary cupboard minister to resign, Ms Haigh was additionally the primary cupboard minister to be publicly rebuked by Sir Keir Starmer.
That was over calls she made to boycott P&O ferries after the mass sacking of lots of of employees, feedback that led to a £1bn funding being quickly shelved.
Hailing from the left of Labour, the Sheffield MP additionally has connections with former Downing Road Chief of Employees Sue Grey.
However with a brand new group now in place on the prime of Quantity Ten – some had already been speculating about her future in authorities.
The last word set off for this resignation is probably going extra straight ahead although.
In 2022, talking in regards to the partygate scandal, Sir Keir Starmer mentioned “you can’t be a lawmaker and a lawbreaker”.
This seems to indicate what that mantra seems to be like when transplanted into the realities of presidency.
It is understood her conviction is now categorized as ‘spent’, and that the incident was disclosed in full when Ms Haigh was appointed to the shadow cupboard.
Earlier than getting into politics, the MP was a particular constable within the Metropolitan Police – serving between 2009 and 2011 within the South London Borough of Lambeth, near the place she was convicted a number of years later.
She was appointed shadow policing minister by Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 and steadily drew on her expertise within the Met when difficult the Tory authorities on the rising calls for on officers.
As transport secretary, Ms Haigh appointed members of the board that oversees the British Transport Police.
In 2019 she mentioned that Boris Johnson had “deceived the police” and dedicated a “serious breach of trust” over claims he politicised serving officers throughout a speech in West Yorkshire.
Sir Keir promoted the MP to shadow Northern Eire secretary in 2020 earlier than shifting her to shadow transport secretary in 2021.
On this transient, she was an outspoken critic of the mass sacking of 800 employees by P&O Ferries in 2022. After turning into transport secretary, she accused P&O of being a “rogue operator” and known as for a boycott of its providers in October.
The feedback prompted the agency’s Dubai-based proprietor to evaluate a deliberate £1bn UK port funding – one thing that was re-confirmed after ministers held pressing talks with the corporate.
However she was publicly rebuked by Sir Keir who mentioned her opinions have been “not the view of the government”.
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