Transport Secretary ‘pleaded guilty’ over work phone incident

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has admitted she pleaded guilty after she incorrectly told police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.

Sky News and the Times newspaper reported on Thursday evening that Ms Haigh admitted an offence in 2014 following the incident. She had reported to police the device was stolen when she was “mugged” in 2013.

In a statement, Ms Haigh has said she discovered “some time later” that the phone had not been taken.

She said the matter was a “genuine mistake” from which she “did not make any gain”, and that magistrates gave her the “lowest possible outcome”.

The Transport Secretary said in her statement: “In 2013 I was mugged while on a night out. I was a young woman and the experience was terrifying.

“I reported it to the police and gave them a list of what I believed had been taken – including a work mobile phone that had been issued by my employer.

“Some time later I discovered that the mobile in question had not been taken. In the interim I had been issued with another work phone.

“The original work device being switched on triggered police attention and I was asked to come in for questioning. My solicitor advised me not to comment during that interview and I regret following that advice.

“The police referred the matter to the CPS and I appeared before Southwark magistrates. Under the advice of my solicitor I pleaded guilty – despite the fact this was a genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain.

“The magistrates accepted all of these arguments and gave me the lowest possible outcome (a discharge) available.”

Ms Haigh has been Sheffield Heeley MP since 2015 and held a number of shadow ministerial and shadow cabinet roles before becoming Transport Secretary when Labour won the election in July. Before she entered politics she spent time as a special constable.

It is understood that it was a fraud offence and the incident was disclosed in full to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer when she joined the shadow cabinet. The conviction is now spent.

The chair of the Conservative Party said the Prime Minister has “serious questions” to answer about the matter.

Nigel Huddleston said in a statement: “These are extremely concerning revelations about the person responsible for managing £30 billion of taxpayers’ money.

“Keir Starmer has serious questions to answer regarding what he knew and when about the person he appointed as Transport Secretary admitting to having misled the police.”