Louise Haigh Resigns as Transport Secretary After Admitting Criminal Offence

Louise Haigh has resigned as Labour's Transport Secretary following the revelation that she pleaded guilty to a criminal offence related to a false report she made to the police about the theft of a work mobile phone in 2013.

Ms Haigh, 34, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Heeley since 2015, admitted to telling police that she had been mugged in London and that a company mobile phone had been stolen during the incident. However, she later discovered that the phone had never been stolen and was still in her home.

In her resignation letter to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Ms Haigh expressed regret, saying, "I should have immediately informed my employer and not doing so straight away was a mistake." She confirmed that she had disclosed the incident to Sir Keir when she joined the shadow cabinet, and it was understood that Starmer was already aware of the situation when he appointed her to her current role.

The incident, which occurred when Ms Haigh was working for insurance company Aviva, led to an investigation by her former employer. At the time, Ms Haigh had claimed that multiple company mobile phones had been stolen or gone missing. According to reports, she later pleaded guilty in court to a fraud offence following legal advice, and magistrates handed down the "lowest possible outcome." The conviction is now spent, meaning it is no longer considered to have a legal impact on her standing.

Ms Haigh, who also served as a special constable before entering politics, has held a number of prominent roles within the Labour Party. Prior to her appointment as Transport Secretary in July 2024, she was the Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and had previously served as Shadow Minister for Transport. As Transport Secretary, Ms Haigh had been instrumental in the creation of Great British Railways, a new public body aimed at reforming the UK's rail system, and securing £1 billion in funding for vital bus services.

In his response to Ms Haigh’s resignation, Sir Keir Starmer praised her contributions to the Labour Party and her work as Transport Secretary, saying, "You have made huge strides in taking our rail system back into public ownership and in securing investment for buses, which will help millions of people across the country." He added, "I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future."

A Conservative Party spokesperson responded to the resignation, saying, "Louise Haigh has done the right thing in resigning. It is clear she has failed to behave to the standards expected of an MP." They also questioned why Sir Keir Starmer had appointed Ms Haigh to a position of such responsibility, given that he was already aware of the fraud conviction. "The onus is now on Keir Starmer to explain this obvious failure of judgment to the British public," they said.

Ms Haigh’s resignation marks a significant moment in her political career, following a series of high-profile roles within the Labour Party. The party is now expected to appoint a new Transport Secretary as the government continues to focus on overhauling the country’s transport infrastructure.