Probe launched into Labour Minister Josh Simons over claims of a dirty dossier
SIR Keir Starmer has ordered a formal probe into Labour Minister Josh Simons after claims he ordered a dirty dossier on British journalists, reports BritPanorama.
The Prime Minister has asked ethics chief Laurie Magnus to investigate whether Mr Simons broke the ministerial code while running Labour Together before entering government.
This inquiry follows allegations that the thinktank paid US lobbying giant APCO to scrutinise the personal backgrounds of reporters who had exposed £730,000 in undeclared donations.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones confirmed in the Commons that the matter should be referred to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, a move that has been executed today.
One of the journalists at the centre of this controversy is Gabriel Pogrund, the Whitehall Editor at The Sunday Times.
Documents released by US writer Matt Taibbi indicate that the firm was hired to investigate how the Sunday Times stories were constructed and who was involved in them.
APCO’s activities included thorough investigations into reporters’ backgrounds, following leads, and performing financial and digital checks, exceeding what Mr Simons initially claimed regarding the purpose of the research.
Mr Simons expressed that he was “shocked” to learn the report contained personal information about Mr Pogrund, maintaining that the investigation was only intended to assess a potential hack.
However, leaked emails suggest he later identified the same journalists to intelligence officials while advocating for an inquiry into the article’s sourcing.
A separate Cabinet Office inquiry is already looking into his role and how he disseminated the report to GCHQ.
The outcome of these investigations could have significant implications for the Labour Party’s handling of media relations and transparency going forward.
Such inquiries underscore the ongoing tensions between political oversight and the press’s role in holding those in power accountable.
