Labour minister under investigation as new scandal rocks Keir Starmer

A Labour minister is under investigation in yet another scandal to hit Sir Keir Starmer's party.

Cabinet Office minister and MP for Makerfield Josh Simons, who was running the think-tank Labour Together, allegedly paid for a probe into the background of critical journalists.****

The Prime Minister has asked his independent adviser on ministerial standards, Laurie Magnus, to examine Mr Simons’s conduct.

Labour Together is accused of paying PR firm Apco Worldwide £36,000 to look into the background of journalists in 2023, when Mr Simons was its director.

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The journalists had covered the campaign group’s failure to declare more than £700,000 in donations.

Mr Simons has faced calls to resign from his ministerial post.

The issue has been referred to independent adviser on ministerial standards Sir Laurie Magnus, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said.

Mr Jones told the Commons: "The Prime Minister has been advised that the matter should be referred now to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, which the Prime Minister has done today."

More to follow...

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