Josh Simons resigned as a Cabinet Office minister, stating that remaining in office had become a distraction. ' He concluded, 'Nonetheless, it is clear that my remaining in office has now become a distraction from this government's important work. For that reason, and with sadness and regret, I offer my resignation.
' Sir Laurie Magnus, the government's ethics adviser, reportedly cleared Josh Simons of breaching the ministerial code. ' The exact evidence reviewed by Magnus to reach this conclusion has not been disclosed. The investigation was prompted by claims that the Labour Together think-tank ordered a smear campaign against journalists when it was run by Simons.
The Independent Advisor on Ministerial Standards has cleared me of breaching the ministerial code.
Keir Starmer asked Sir Laurie Magnus to investigate these allegations. Labour Together commissioned an investigation by PR consultancy Apco Worldwide into the backgrounds and motivations of reporters who had written stories about it. This investigation examined the sourcing, funding, and origins of a November 2023 Sunday Times report into Labour Together's funding.
The investigation's findings included false allegations about Sunday Times journalists Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke. The findings were shared informally with Labour figures. How these false allegations were generated and disseminated remains unclear.
But with regret, remaining in office has become a distraction, so I have resigned from government.
Labour Together failed to declare £730,000 of donations between 2017 and 2020. The full details of these undeclared donations have not been made public. Josh Simons has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
A friend of Simons stated, 'The investigation found that Josh never sought to smear and investigate newspaper reporters. ' This aligns with Simons' own denial that he never sought to smear and investigate newspaper reporters. However, a government minister was accused of organising a smear campaign against journalists, and the Labour Together think-tank was alleged to have ordered a smear campaign against journalists when it was run by Simons.
' Who specifically ordered the Apco Worldwide investigation and what exact instructions were given has not been revealed.