Labour minister Josh Simons resigns after falsely linking journalists to ‘pro-Kremlin’ network | Labour

Labor minister Josh Simons resigned from the government after the Guardian revealed it had wrongly linked reporters to a “pro-Kremlin” network in emails to GCHQ, despite claiming to be “surprised” and “outraged” by a PR firm’s investigation into their journalism.

Simons, a cabinet minister, previously ran the think tank Labor Together. He resigned from his position on Saturday, saying his position in office was “a distraction from the important work of government.”

The Makerfield MP had faced mounting pressure over his role in Labor Together commissioning lobbying and public relations agency APCO to investigate journalists reporting on the think tank’s failure to disclose political donations.

Simons faces a formal investigation by Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministerial standards. Magnus concluded that Simons had not violated the ministerial code, but that keeping Simons in government was a “distraction and potential damage to reputation”.

Earlier this month, the Guardian revealed that Simons, 32, had personally commissioned and reviewed APCO’s report on journalists investigating the group’s finances.

In his resignation letter to Keir Starmer, Simons said he had commissioned APCO in November 2023 to investigate whether the think tank’s confidential material had been exposed through a hack by the Electoral Commission.

This followed a Sunday Times report that raised new questions about £730,000 in undeclared donations to Labor Together.

The contract Simons agreed with APCO for £36,000 was to “investigate the source, funding and origins of the Sunday Times article on Labor Together”.

They would also investigate a series of publications by freelance journalist Paul Holden, who provided reporting material to the paper, and stories published by American reporter Matt Taibbi “to determine who and what was behind the coordinated attacks on Labor Together”.

APCO will provide “a body of evidence that can be packaged for use in the media to create narratives that will proactively undermine future attacks on Labor Together.”

Simons told Magnus that the “terms of appointment” agreed with APCO “were broader than he understood and he was too hasty in approving his appointments without legal advice.”

Magnus said Simons realized that “there was a perception that his purpose was broader than investigating the source of a suspected illegal hack, but that was not actually his intention.”

Simons said after the Sunday Times reported that APCO’s report made false claims about journalist Gabriel Pogrund’s faith, upbringing and personal and professional relationships. He said he was “surprised and shocked to read the report that went beyond the contract and contained unnecessary information” about Pogrund.

Magnus said Simons “recognizes that this perceived gap between his public statements and the broader scope he now acknowledges is damaging.”

Accepting Simons’ resignation, Starmer said: “It is vital 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 people we serve.”

In a statement on Saturday evening, Labor Together chief Sally Morgan, appointed in September 2024, sought to show that the organization had turned a page since the APCO report was produced.

Describing the scope of the report as “indefensible”, Lady Morgan added that there had been a management review since then and said: “Many things have already changed, including establishing an audit and risk committee, a whistleblowing policy and promoting a more open and accountable culture. But we must do more.”

He added that recently appointed chief executive Alison Phillips had “already begun a radical reshaping of Labor Together”. Phillips said: “We are improving our governance arrangements and will learn the necessary lessons from the past.”

Last On Friday, the Guardian revealed that Simons and his chief of staff emailed the National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC) following the APCO report, naming Pogrund and his Sunday Times colleague Harry Yorke and suggesting their stories might be linked to a Russian disinformation campaign.

They told the NCSC they suspected the Sunday Times article could be linked to a wider “co-ordinated effort” to discredit Labor Together in a bid to undermine Starmer and his then-chief adviser Morgan McSweeney.

They also sent an abbreviated version of the APCO report to NCSC officials, claiming Holden may have been linked to “individuals known to operate in a pro-Kremlin propaganda network with connections to Russian intelligence.”

In his resignation letter, Simons said he never “attempted to smear.” [the] Newspaper reporters targeted by APCO”.

He said: “The work of reporters like Gabriel Pogrund, Harry Yorke and Henry Dyer sustains our democracy. With rigor and impartiality, they hold those in positions of power to account.”

Simons has previously disputed the Guardian’s report about his emails with security officials. In his letter, he said he filed a lawsuit against the NCSC so he could “establish the facts.” He said officials “met with Labor Together and thanked us for bringing the case.”

The NCSC never launched an investigation into the issues raised by Simons, but a law firm representing Labor Together told another newspaper in mid-February 2023 that it could not comment on questions about donations “due to ongoing investigations by the UK Intelligence services.”

In his resignation letter, Simons did not address why he claimed he had not received information about any journalists other than Pogrund.

The APCO report is understood to include information about at least three other journalists: Holden, Taibbi and Morning Star journalist Andrew Murray.

There is no credible evidence that any of the journalists participated in a pro-Russian campaign. Holden recently showed the Guardian source material showing the story was based on files leaked from the Labor Party by whistleblowers.