The 37-year-old Louise Haigh, who had been the youngest member of the Cabinet, became the first to resign. It was revealed late Thursday that she had admitted to criminal responsibility for inaccurately reporting a phone as stolen during a mugging in 2013, two years before her election to Parliament.
Labour leader Keir Starmer was aware of Haigh’s conviction for providing misleading information to the police when he appointed her to his first shadow Cabinet in 2020. However, the conviction was not publicly disclosed until Sky News reported the story. Following the report, Haigh stepped down hours later on Friday morning.
In her resignation letter, Haigh explained that her decision to report the phone as stolen had been a “genuine mistake,” and that she had pleaded guilty upon her lawyer’s advice—something she now regrets. She stated she did not want to “distract” from the work of the newly elected government, which took office in July.
“I am sorry to leave under these circumstances, but I take pride in what we have achieved,” Haigh added.
Heidi Alexander takes over the transport portfolio at a critical juncture, as the government moves forward with plans to nationalize Britain’s railways.
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