Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has resigned after Sky News revealed she incorrectly told police in 2013 that her work mobile had been stolen during a mugging.
Ms Haigh had pleaded guilty to the offence at the time but told Prime Minister Keir Starmer she was leaving because ‘this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government’.
After she was mugged, the MP for Sheffield Heeley had given police a list of possessions she thought had been stolen, including her mobile. In her letter to Sir Keir, she wrote: “Some time later, I discovered that the handset in question was still in my house. I should have immediately informed my employer and not doing so straight away was a mistake.”
She added: “I am sorry to leave under these circumstances, but I take pride in what we have done.
“I will continue to fight every day for the people of Sheffield Heeley who I was first and foremost elected to represent and to ensure that the rest of our programme is delivered in full.”
