LONDON – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered an ethics investigation into Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons, following allegations that a Labour think tank commissioned a firm to investigate journalists critical of the organization. The inquiry, announced in the House of Commons on February 23 by Cabinet Office Minister Darren Jones, centers on claims that Labour Together, which Simons previously led, contracted APCO Worldwide to probe the origins of negative press coverage.
Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s independent adviser on ministerial standards, will lead the investigation, focusing on whether Simons breached the ministerial code. However, as outlined by the BBC, Magnus’s remit is limited to Simons’ conduct *as a minister*, and will not encompass his actions while at Labour Together before entering Parliament. BBC News
The controversy stems from a 2023 investigation by the Sunday Times into undeclared donations to Labour Together, a group pivotal in Starmer’s ascent to the Labour leadership and the party’s 2024 election win. According to reports, APCO Worldwide was paid at least £30,000 to determine the “sourcing, funding and origins” of the story. Simons initially stated that APCO was hired to investigate a potential hack of the Electoral Commission, the UK’s political finance watchdog. He later conceded that the firm’s investigation had expanded beyond its initial scope, including “unnecessary” personal information about journalists.
A contract between APCO Worldwide and Labour Together, reviewed by POLITICO, makes no mention of a hack, contradicting Simons’ initial explanation. POLITICO reports that the investigation is now likely to focus on whether Simons misled Parliament regarding the purpose of the APCO inquiry.
Further complicating the matter, sources familiar with the APCO report, as reported by the BBC, allege that it included details about journalist Gabriel Pogrund’s Jewish beliefs and suggested his reporting could be aligned with Russian foreign policy objectives. The BBC has not seen the full report.
Alison Phillips, the current head of Labour Together, expressed concern over the allegations in an all-staff email, stating she was “horrified” that investigators would probe the backgrounds of reporters, even if unintended. Simons, in a February 6 post on X, maintained that APCO was tasked with investigating a “suspected illegal hack.”
The Prime Minister’s decision to launch a formal investigation follows calls from more than 20 Labour MPs for a “fully independent” inquiry, given Simons’ position within the Cabinet Office. The investigation by Magnus will assess whether Simons’ statements to Parliament regarding the APCO inquiry were accurate and complete, and whether they constitute a breach of the ministerial code.
As of February 24, the outcome of Magnus’s investigation remains uncertain, and Simons continues to hold his position as a junior minister. The inquiry’s findings will be closely watched, potentially impacting Simons’ future in government and raising broader questions about the relationship between political organizations and media scrutiny.
