Transport Secretary Louise Haigh quits after pleading guilty to fraud

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh quits after pleading guilty to falsely reporting phone theft

Louise Haigh wrote to the Prime Minister to resign, saying she she is 'totally committed to our political project' but believes this issue 'will inevitably be a distraction'

Louise Haigh has dramatically quit as Transport Secretary after admitting she had pleaded guilty to a fraud offence over a mobile phone theft.

In her resignation letter, Ms Haigh said she did not want to become a “distraction” and Labour would be "best served by my supporting you from outside government”. Keir Starmer thanked her for her work and said she had made “huge strides” to take the rail system back into public ownership.

Ms Haigh was convicted of fraud by false representation in 2014 after she wrongly told police her work phone had been snatched in a traumatic mugging in London in 2013. She said she gave officers a list of what had been stolen during the incident, which took place before she became an MP when she was 24-years-old.

It included a phone issued by her then employer, the insurance giant Aviva. But she later found the work phone in a drawer in her house and switched it on, which alerted the police who called her in for questioning.

Ms Haigh was given a conditional discharge by magistrates, which she said was the "lowest possible outcome. It is now spent, meaning it has been removed from her record.

It is understood that she informed Mr Starmer about the conviction when she joined the Shadow Cabinet in 2020. Allies of Ms Haigh said Mr Starmer was supportive at the time.

But the PM withdrew his support amid concerns in No10 that she had not given a full explanation. The PM is understood to have spoken to Ms Haigh after news reports emerged on Thursday night but friends insist it was her decision to quit.

No10 said the PM withdrew his support after "further information" came to light. A source close to Ms Haigh disputed this and insisted he had been given the full details in 2020.

The PM's deputy spokesman said "Following further information emerging, the Prime Minister has accepted Louise Haigh's resignation." He repeatedly refused to say what it was but said that ministers are expected to adhere to the ministerial code.

Ms Haigh, 37, became the youngest ever female Cabinet minister in July, which she said “remains one of the proudest achievements of my life”.

Regarded as on the left of the party, she held a number of shadow ministerial posts under Jeremy Corbyn before Mr Starmer made her Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary in 2020. As Transport Secretary, she spearheaded ambitious plans to bring the railways into public ownership.

Swindon South MP Heidi Alexander was appointed to replace her as Transport Secretary. She was MP for Lewisham East from 2010 to 2018 but stood down to serve as deputy mayor of London for transport under Sadiq Khan.

Ms Alexander, who returned to Parliament in July, said: "It's an incredible honour to have been asked to take on this role. Lou Haigh was formidable. I will do all I can to ensure we have a transport system that drives economic growth, connects our communities and protects the environment. A mammoth task ahead."