Louise Haigh resigns as UK transport secretary over phone breaches

Unlock Editor's Digest for free

FT editor-in-chief Roula Khalaf picks her favorite articles from this week's newsletter.

British Transport Secretary Louise Haigh was forced to resign after pleading guilty to the crime of losing her mobile phone, in a new setback for a government that has suffered a bruising first five months in office.

Heidi Alexander, the attorney general and former London deputy mayor for transport, was appointed to replace Hayes on Friday.

Haigh said she pleaded guilty on Thursday to offenses related to a work phone she falsely claimed was stolen in 2014. According to an official familiar with the case, the crime was fraud through false statements.

According to a Labor source, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney told Hague by phone that evening that he could not maintain his position and that he should step down from the cabinet.

Starmer accepted his resignation on Thursday night amid concerns from Downing Street that he had not provided a full public explanation of the background to his conviction.

One government official said the phenomenon would not go away within 24 hours.

Haigh's allies said she told Starmer about the conviction when she was appointed to the shadow cabinet in 2020. One ally said the incident was fully public.

People close to Starmer confirmed that Haigh had told him at the time that he had previously been convicted of fraud offences.

But a Downing Street spokesman said Haigh had resigned after new information came to light. Asked whether Haigh told Starmer the full truth in 2020, he refused to answer.

Haigh said he told police he lost his mobile phone, which had been provided by his then employer Aviva, during the horrific robbery in 2013, but later discovered he had not taken it.

I should have notified my employer immediately, but it was a mistake not to do so immediately, Haigh said in his resignation letter. She worked as a public policy manager for an insurance company but declined to comment.

Aviva reviewed Haigh's conduct in 2014 but quit that year before it was completed, according to people briefed on the internal investigation.

The company's investigation wasn't limited to a single phone. According to parliamentary allies, this also involved a mobile phone that Haigh lost while on holiday in Portugal.

However, it is said that they were not notified of the existence of an internal investigation agency.

Haigh worked at Aviva alongside long-time Labor adviser Sam White, who was director of public policy at the insurer in 2014. White later became Starmers' chief of staff in 2021.

Haigh said Thursday she received the lowest possible outcome for her 2014 conviction: a dismissal. Haigh was elected to parliament in 2015.

Whatever the facts of the matter, the issue will inevitably interfere with the performance of the current government, Haigh said in his resignation letter.

Starmer allies said they were concerned that any distraction could lead to days of talk about what exactly was behind Haigh's conviction, potentially overshadowing any future work she would carry out as transport secretary.

Haigh's resignation is the first by a cabinet minister since Starmer led Labor to victory in the July general election and caps a difficult few weeks since Prime Minister Rachel Reeves announced the biggest tax rises in a generation in last month's budget.

Acknowledging Haigh's resignation, Starmer said in a brief letter that he had helped deliver an ambitious transport agenda. I know you can continue to make great contributions,” he said.

On Friday, the Prime Minister's spokesman said ministers must adhere to the ministerial code, but could not say whether this was relevant to the Hayes situation.

One Haigh colleague said Starmer was downright weak, adding: She literally told him years ago but what does he do… he makes her leave.

Haigh's exit comes at a critical moment for the government's transport policy. As Secretary of Transportation, she was responsible for everything from high-speed rail Line 2 to legislation on the sale of electric vehicles.

She has led intense discussions with the auto industry over how to relax rules for EV sales. The news also comes less than 24 hours after her signature rail nationalization bill became law, paving the way for a rollback of rail privatization.

Haigh's departure marks the loss of one of the left-wing figures in Starmer's cabinet.

Last October she criticized P&O Ferries as a cowboy operator over its decision to fire and rehire 800 staff two years ago and said she was boycotting the business.

The incident caused a political storm, with Downing Street disavowing the comments in a bid to persuade Perry Group owner DP World to confirm a $1 billion investment in the UK.

A spokesman for the opposition Conservative Party said it was right for Haigh to resign as minister, saying he had failed to live up to the standards expected of an MP.

They added that Starmer must explain to the British public his apparent failure of judgment in appointing Haigh, given his resignation letter that the Prime Minister knew about the conviction.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos