Fresh nightmare for Keir Starmer as Labour minister faces ethics probe | Politics | News
A minister is being investigated by the Prime Minister’s ethics watchdog over the latest hit on Sir Keir Starmer. Cabinet minister Josh Simons is facing allegations that the leading Labor think tank he ran before entering government paid for an investigation into journalists.
Labor Together is accused of paying £36,000 to PR firm Apco Worldwide to investigate the background of journalists who reported on the campaign group’s failure to declare donations of more than £700,000. Mr Simons, the Labor MP for Makerfield, has faced calls to resign as a minister over the allegations.
Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary Darren Jones said the matter had been escalated to Sir Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministerial standards.
Mr Jones told the House of Commons that Sir Keir had asked civil servants in the Cabinet Office’s etiquette and ethics team to establish the facts surrounding Mr Simons’ time at Labor Together. He continued: “Now that work has been completed and the facts have been reported to the Prime Minister.
“The Prime Minister was advised that the matter should now be referred to independent counsel on ministerial standards, which the Prime Minister has done today.
“This is not a new process, it is a continuation of the process started by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will make a decision after receiving the advice of the independent consultant.
“This will happen very soon and his advice to the Prime Minister will be made public in the normal way.”
Mr Jones stressed that freedom of the press was “the cornerstone of our democracy” and that the Government was committed to supporting and protecting that freedom.
But he acknowledged the Prime Minister may have to sack Mr Simons. Mr Jones said the Prime Minister would “make a decision” on Josh Simons’ future after taking advice from independent counsel.
Alex Burghart, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said it was “difficult to understand” how defensible Mr Simons’s stance was following allegations of a “defamation attempt” against journalists.
