Labour Together, a thinktank previously run by Simons before he entered parliament, paid PR firm APCO Worldwide at least £30,000 for research ahead of the 2024 election. The firm was asked to investigate the sourcing, funding, and origins of a Sunday Times story about undeclared donations at Labour Together. Simons said he approached APCO Worldwide after the article came out due to their solid international reputation, but he noted the firm's report ended up being beyond the scope of what Labour Together originally requested, which focused on the Sunday Times story.
The APCO Worldwide report included points about journalist Gabriel Pogrund's Jewish beliefs and claims about his ideological position. Sources said the report claimed Pogrund's previous reporting, including on the Royal Family, could be seen as destabilising to Britain, and it asserted his previous work could also be perceived as serving Russian foreign policy objectives. This content sparked criticism and contributed to the controversy surrounding Simons.
Simons expressed concerns when the initial news report came out that it featured confidential information. He worried the information might be used to retell the story of the antisemitism crisis at Labour Together and downplay it, highlighting his broader anxieties about the narrative.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched an ethics investigation before Simons announced his resignation, and Starmer's ethics adviser, Laurie Magnus, concluded Simons had not breached any rules. Despite this clearance, Simons decided to step down to avoid further distraction for the government.
Simons faced calls to step down over the controversy at Labour Together, which he used to run before entering parliament, leading to his resignation as a distraction for the government. He previously said he never sought to smear the reporters investigated, and he said there's a lot he's learned from the incident, emphasizing his honesty and truthfulness throughout the process.