Labour Minister Faces Investigation Over PR Firm Smear Allegations
A Labour minister has been placed under formal notice after his own department launched an investigation into allegations that he commissioned a public relations firm to smear journalists. Josh Simons, who serves as a minister in the Cabinet Office, is facing mounting pressure to temporarily step down from his role while the inquiry establishes the facts surrounding the controversial probe he initiated while leading the think-tank Labour Together.
Cross-Party Calls for Minister to Recuse Himself
Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake has demanded that Simons recuse himself from his ministerial responsibilities concerning inquiries policy while the Cabinet Office investigation is ongoing. Hollinrake emphasised the need for transparency, stating that the terms of reference for the inquiry and the identity of its lead investigator must be made public. He further called upon the Labour Party to review its ongoing relationship with Labour Together in light of what he described as very serious accusations.
Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart expressed her dismay at the reports, describing the alleged smear tactics as outrageous and contradictory to Labour's promises of cleaner politics. Smart argued that Simons should temporarily step down to avoid any potential conflict of interest during the investigation, highlighting the importance of protecting the independence of the free press.
Details of the Controversial Probe Emerge
It has now been revealed that in late 2023, while serving as director of Labour Together, Simons commissioned the US public affairs firm APCO to investigate how The Sunday Times had uncovered that the think-tank failed to declare £730,000 in donations to the Labour Party. The subsequent report, which cost Labour Together £36,000, allegedly portrayed two Sunday Times reporters as participants in a Russian campaign to sabotage the reputation of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. The document is said to have included numerous pages of deeply personal and false claims about one of the journalists, Gabriel Pogrund.
Government Response and Prime Minister's Position
On Monday, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed that the Cabinet Office is examining the case, stressing the essential need to protect press freedom. When questioned about the allegations, Sir Keir Starmer stated that he was unaware of the investigation into the journalists and affirmed that a Cabinet Office investigation into the allegations was absolutely necessary. The Prime Minister's official spokesman later reiterated that Sir Keir maintains confidence in Simons despite the ongoing probe.
The investigation is understood to be conducted by the Propriety and Ethics team within the Cabinet Office, a unit responsible for advising the Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary on maintaining the highest standards of propriety and ethics across all government departments. Simons, who became an MP in 2024, previously served as director of Labour Together, a think-tank credited with assisting Sir Keir in winning the Labour leadership.
