Transport Secretary Louise Haigh resigns after admitting misleading police over stolen phone

Louise Haigh has resigned as Transport Secretary after it was revealed she had mislead police.

Sky News and The Times reported on Thursday evening that Haigh had incorrectly told police a work mobile phone had been stolen in 2013, leading to a court appearance the following year, six months before she was first elected as an MP.

On Thursday Haigh had been in Leeds to announce a new integrated transport policy and seen the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill be given Royal Assent.

 In her letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Haigh wrote: “As you know, in 2013 I was mugged in London. As a 24-year-old woman, the experience was terrifying. In the immediate aftermath, I reported the incident to the police. I have the police a list of my possessions that I believed had been stolen, including my work phone. 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.”

Haigh told the PM that the issue would be “a distraction” for the government.

She continued: “Just today, our Bill bringing the railways back into public ownership received Royal Assent and became an Act of Parliament. This is a once in a generation reform to our railways which will change our country for the better. A commitment made by leaders of our Party for decades, finally delivered.”

In response, Starmer wrote: “Thank you for all you have done to deliver this government’s ambitious transport agenda. You have made huge strides to take our rail system back into public ownership through the creation of Great British Railways, investing £1 billion in our vital bus services and lowering costs for motorists.

“I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.”

Haigh has been the MP for Sheffield Heeley since 2015. After four other shadow ministerial roles, she was appointed Shadow Transport Secretary in November 2021, becoming Transport Secretary in July this year when Labour won the general election.