Louise Haigh has resigned as UK transport secretary after news emerged that she incorrectly told police a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.
In a statement, Haigh said that she was mugged while on a night out when she was working for former employer Aviva in her mid-20s. She gave police a list of items missing from her handbag, including her work phone, which she thought had been stolen.
In 2014, Haigh was investigated by Aviva and the police over the incident. She pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and was given a conditional discharge by magistrates.
In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Haigh admits that she should have immediately informed her employer and “no doing so straight away was a mistake.”
She adds: “whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering the work of this government and the policies to which we are both committed.”
Accepting her resignation, Starmer thanked Haigh for her work and said “huge strides to take our rail system back into public ownership”. He added: “I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.”
Just yesterday, Haigh unveiled her vision for integrated transport across England in the Integrated Transport Strategy, which aims to join up transport networks, empower local leaders and drive economic growth.
In her resignation letter to Keir Starmer, she said: “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.”
Image credit: Gov.UK
