Transport Secretary Louise Haigh Resigns Over Past Conviction
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has resigned after it was revealed that she pleaded guilty to a fraud offence for falsely reporting her work mobile phone as stolen a decade ago. In her resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Haigh acknowledged the incident as a mistake and said, “whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government.”
The controversy dates back to 2013 when Haigh, then a 24-year-old public policy manager at Aviva, reported her phone stolen after an alleged mugging in London. She later discovered the phone at home and switched it on, which caught police attention. Haigh was subsequently questioned and pleaded guilty to making a false report. She was handed a conditional discharge—the lightest possible penalty—six months before being elected as an MP in 2015.
In her resignation, Haigh expressed regret over the incident, describing it as a "genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain." She emphasized her pride in serving as the youngest-ever female cabinet minister and her achievements in the transport sector, including efforts to re-nationalize the railways.
The conviction had been disclosed to Starmer when Haigh joined his shadow cabinet in 2020. However, its resurfacing has led to criticism of the prime minister's decision to appoint her to a high-profile role managing a £30bn budget. The Conservative Party has accused Starmer of poor judgment, questioning why he entrusted her with such responsibilities despite knowing about her past.
Responding to her resignation, Starmer thanked Haigh for her contributions, saying, “I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.” Labour insiders see her departure as an opportunity to return with a clean slate later, though the episode has raised questions about the government’s vetting process.
Before entering politics, Haigh worked as a Metropolitan Police special constable and later served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet. While her conviction does not legally disqualify her from being an MP, the situation has fueled criticism of Labour’s pledge to restore trust in public life.
Justice Minister Heidi Alexander has been named as Haigh’s successor. Meanwhile, Haigh vowed to continue representing her Sheffield Heeley constituents and supporting Labour’s policy agenda from outside government.
