Labour MP Josh Simons has dramatically resigned as a Cabinet Office minister amid an ethics probe into claims a Labour think tank he previously ran paid for an investigation to “smear” journalists.
Mr Simons said he was stepping down the Cabinet Office role in the engine of government because he had “become a distraction from this government’s important work”.
He was director of the Labour Together thinktank succeeding Keir Starmer’s controversial former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney in the role and had faced accusation that he employed a PR company APCO to “smear” journalists.
Mr Simons has always denied the allegations claiming that APCO had only been taken on to deal with a leak of confidential information from Labour Together but demands for him to be sacked had only continued to increase.
The resignation is another blow for the embattled prime minister who has been weakened since the new year is facing a potential coup from Labour MPs.
With Sir Keir’s position even more tenuous after the humiliating third place in the Gorton and Denton by-election, MPs on the left of party were using the issue to exert further pressure on the PM.
The think tank, which was run by Sir Keir’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, was the centre of attempting to reclaim the Labour Party from the leftwing leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and later install Sir Keir as leader.
But it has been accused of attempting to smear journalists who were investigating its donations. Now Labour MPs Richard Burgon and John McDonnell have confirmed to The Independent that they have requested all documents relating to them from both the think tank and APCO.
Mr Simons had been cleared by ethics advisor Lurie Magnus but nevertheless said his continued place in the government was “a distraction”.
In his resignation letter, Mr Simons said: “I welcome that Sir Laurie Magnus has cleared me of breaching the Ministerial Code. It was important to me to complete this process to prove that I behaved with integrity and that my public statements have been truthful and honest.
“Nonetheless, it is clear that my remaining in office has now become a distraction from this government’s important work. For that reason, and with sadness and regret, I offer my resignation.”
He insisted that the work of journalists “sustains our democracy. With rigour and objectivity, they hold those in positions of power to account. In an age when trust in politics is low, anything perceived to be an attack on their integrity and independence deserves thorough investigation.”
But he added: “As I have said many times, I never sought to smear these newspaper reporters. I have not been able to go into detail on these claims while this investigation has been ongoing.”
Nevertheless, the resignation is unlikely to mean that the controversy will go away.
The subject access request by a number of Labour MPs who were allied to Mr Corbyn is aimed at looking at the role of Labour Together in forcing him out and installing Sir Keir as leader.
Added to that the question marks over treatment of journalists came at a time when Sir Keir has been accused of trying to reduce press access in the Commons and to his government.
Since the new year his government cancelled one of the daily lobby press briefings and he has directed a number of the questions at press conferences to Labour friendly “social media influencers” instead of journalists.
In his response to Mr Simons the prime minister said: “I want to express my thanks for the commitment, focus, and energy you have brought to ministerial office.
“As you note in your letter, freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democracy. The government remains firmly committed to upholding and protecting that freedom. It is essential that journalists are able to carry out their work without fear or favour, including holding politicians of all parties to account on behalf of the public we serve.”
Tory shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said: “The prime minister should have sacked him last week – it was clear as day that he had done wrong
“Labour waited to refer the case to the Independent Advisor to delay judgement until after the by-election (fat lot of good that did). Need full investigation into Labour Together now.”
