Arabic version: جوش سيمونز يستقيل بعد مزاعم تحقيق مثير للجدل حول الصحفيين

Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons has resigned as Cabinet Office minister just days after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer asked his ethics adviser to investigate him. This resignation follows allegations that the think tank he previously led commissioned a report examining the backgrounds of journalists. According to BBC News, Simons stated he had become a distraction from the government’s important work.

Simons confirmed his resignation on social media, expressing that he had accepted the situation with sadness. Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged the resignation and noted that ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus found no breach of the ministerial code by Simons. Sir Keir expressed gratitude for Simons’s contributions during his time in office.

The controversy centers around Labour Together, which reportedly paid APCO Worldwide at least £30,000 to investigate the sourcing and funding of a Sunday Times article regarding undeclared donations at the think tank. The report allegedly included sensitive information about journalist Gabriel Pogrund’s background and previous reporting.

Sources familiar with the report indicated it suggested Pogrund’s journalistic work could be destabilizing for the UK and aligned with Russian foreign policy objectives. The investigation extended to other journalists, including Paul Holden and American reporter Matt Taibbi. Simons acknowledged in a letter to the Prime Minister that the scope of the investigation was broader than he initially understood and admitted to acting too hastily in confirming its appointment.

Following the allegations, more than 20 Labour MPs called for a “fully independent investigation” into Simons and the report. Labour Together has been widely credited with helping Sir Keir Starmer get elected as Labour leader.